Alexandria Love Your Pet Day Festival Brings Fun For Whole Family

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Alexandria Love Your Pet Day Festival is a reminder of how pet-friendly of a city Alexandria is. This year's festival moves to a new location at Oronoco Bay Park on Sunday, Oct 3.

The event will happen from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 100 Madison Street. Pets and their humans can enjoy entertainment for the whole family, including performances, demonstrations, activities, food, drinks and more. Alexandria Love Yout Pet Day benefits the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, which helps pets in need as well as provides community services to pet owners. Well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome to attend.

A Family Fun Tent sponsored by the Jen Walker Team will feature activities through the day. Attendees can make personalized dog bandanas, interactive cat mobiles, custom pet charm necklaces and treats and toys for animals at the AWLA, animal training games and more.

Here is the Family Fun Tent schedule:

• 11 a.m. - Clicker Games for Kids
• 12:15 p.m. - Animal Relay Races
• 12:30 p.m. - Clicker Games for Kids
• 12:45 p.m. - What Scat is That? Game
• 1:45 p.m. - Animal Relay Race
• 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. - Magician Chris Michael

The main stage will include children's performances as well as remarks from AWLA and city officials.

Here is the main stage schedule:

• 11 a.m. - Introductory Remarks by the AWLA’s Stella Hanly
• 11:10 a.m. - Reading of the Love Your Pet Day proclamation by the Old Town Crier
• 11:15 a.m. - Opening from members of the Alexandria City Council
• 11:30 a.m. - Rainbow Rock Band
• 1 p.m. - Uno Dos Tres Andrés (sponsored by the Alexandria Library)
• 2 p.m. - Chris Michael the Magician
• 2:45 p.m. - Closing Remarks from the Love Your Pet Day Committee

In between entertainment will be "Doggie Dates" and "Meow Meet-Ups" featuring adoptable animals from AWLA and Tails High.

The first Alexandria Love Your Pet Day event was held in 2017, drawing dozens of businesses and hundreds of attendees with dogs. The previous event held in 2019 grew to a thousand and counting attendees.

Sponsors of Alexandria Love Your Pet Day Festival are Caudron Megary Blackburn Wealth Management Group, the Nellis Group, Priority Automotive, Beyer Subaru, Dog Latin Dog Training, Grateful Pup Dog Treats, Grateful Pup Dog Treats, Tech Painting Co., TLC Design, VCA Animal Hospitals and Whole Dogz. For more information, visit www.alexandrialoveyourpetday.com.