Here are eight reasons why you won’t want to miss this year’s event:

New Location: Innovative Field
Due to exciting renovations as part of our Kindness for All Kind expansion project, this year’s Barktober Fest is moving to Innovative Field in downtown Rochester! This new venue offers more space, easier access, and built-in seating for watching our main stage entertainment. From the third base seating area, enjoy canine contests, live music, and so much more. The vendor village and food options will be located on the stadium concourse, making it easy to grab a snack or browse handmade crafts and pet products.

Please note: Innovative Field has a bag policy, which you can review on our website. Also, high heels and cleats are not allowed on the field.

The Walk for the Animals
At the heart of Barktober Fest is our beloved Walk for the Animals, starting at 10 a.m. on the warning track inside the stadium. Register, fundraise, and walk to support pets at Lollypop Farm. Every dollar you raise helps provide food, shelter, veterinary care, behavior training, and a second chance for animals in need. You can sign up as an individual, join an existing team, or rally your friends and family to create your own!

Canine Contests
The main events are back again; three amazing contests that will be sure to entertain everyone. Look for them all at the main stage located right on the field, and use Innovative Field’s seats to catch all the action. Want to have your pet join in the fun? Register on our website today!

• The Canine Costume Contest presented by Wendy’s Get ready for Halloween early and show off your creativity with a clever canine costume. Dress up your dog, or come as a matching pair. Either way, join in this fun, friendly competition!

• The Pup + Human Whipped Cream Eating Contest presented by Orville’s Home Appliances Does your dog live for pup cups and devour them in record time? Indulge right alongside your four-legged friend as the two of you slurp plates of whipped topping. Yes, you read that right, you eat alongside your dog, and no hands or utensils are allowed!

• The Hot Diggity Dog Contest presented by K9 Resorts Penfield Will your furry friend bring home the title of the fastest hot dog-eating pup in the land? Join your dog onstage and cheer them on as they bob for hot dog bites in trays of water!

Live Music with Hey Mabel
Hey Mabel is back again to crank the tunes! Enjoy their crowd-pleasing songs while you relax in the stands or dance with your dog by your side.

Amazing Local Vendors
Explore our vendor market in the concourse area. You’ll find everything from pet treats and toys to artisan crafts, gifts, and home goods. Visit our website to view an updated list of all of our amazing vendors.

Note: Stadium food vendors like Home Plate and Mama Mitsy’s Pizza are cashless. Some independent vendors may accept cash — an ATM will be available on-site.

Family Fun
Bring the kids and enjoy a day full of activities in our Family Fun Zone, including:

• • Innovative Field’s bounce house and fast pitch station

  • Animal-themed crafts

  • Bubbles

  • Story time and more!

Your Dog is Invited
Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome throughout Barktober Fest. Whether your pup joins in the contests or just soaks in the sights and smells, they’ll have a tail-wagging good time.

Don’t forget to bring waste bags, and please ensure your dog is comfortable in crowds and vaccinated for proper protection against potential diseases.

You’re Making a Difference
When you attend, walk, fundraise, or donate, you’re supporting Lollypop Farm’s mission to create a more compassionate world for pets and the people who love them. Your support helps animals find loving homes and provides essential services to our community.

Register today!

The post Eight Reasons to Join us at Barktober Fest! appeared first on Lollypop Farm.

What can you expect from the Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest this year? MORE! (You heard us right!) Our team has worked hard to come up with even more creative ways to celebrate your fundraising efforts. And yes, it might look a little different this year, but it’s still the most fun you can have making a BIG DIFFERENCE for pets in our community. Here’s just some of the exciting things you can expect:

WEEKLY CHALLENGES AND PRIZES!

If you register for the Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest, you’ll fun challenges for the six weeks leading up to the event on Saturday, September 26th! Some challenges will be focused on how we can all come together and help save lives, others will be silly and entertaining, but all will enter you in for the chance to win exciting prizes! You could win everything from a gift card to Pet Supplies Plus to a fun kitten party brought right to your home. Challenges are starting Monday, August 17th! You must be registered to win!

SCHEDULE YOUR WALK

Our first priority is your health and safety, but it wouldn’t be the Walk for the Animals without a walk. So, when you register as the hero we know you are, you will have the opportunity to schedule your walk on our farm walk. Everyone who walks will receive a cool t-shirt, water bottle, and other gifts to show our appreciation. You can schedule your walk for any day the week of the Walk for the Animals, but if you schedule your socially distanced walk on event day, Saturday, September 26th, you’ll be greeted with pop-up entertainment and friends cheering you on! We don’t want to give away all our surprises, but it’s sure to be a day that will make you smile! Register as a hero today!

BE A HERO AT HOME

More comfortable staying at home? We completely understand! You can still be a hero in the unprecedented time. When you register as a hero at home you’ll receive a Barktober Fest Block Party Kit (pick up or have delivered for a small fee). Inside you will still find the same great gifts plus yard signs, door hangers, and decorations to help you share your Walk for the Animals with your neighbors and friends. Register as a hero at home today!

MAKE YOUR MARK

Your support has never meant more. When you complete your walk -either on campus or from afar – we’ll place a temporary marker on our front lawn showcasing your lasting impact for the homeless and abused animals of Lollypop Farm. This artistic display is going to be a beautiful symbol of the care and compassion our community has for the pets who need us more. Together we can make a difference, and we hope you will help us fill our front lawn with a showcase of love for the animals of Lollypop Farm.

Please consider making a life-saving difference for pets in need! Your support has never been more critical. Register for the 2020 Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest.

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In this unprecedented year, we are looking ahead to our 23rd Annual Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest, an annual march to support pets in need followed by a pet-friendly festival all on the grounds of Lollypop Farm. With all of the uncertainty surrounding live events this year, the critical lifesaving funds raised at this event are at risk. Our priority remains the health and safety of our supporters, volunteers, and staff, as well as continuing to provide critical care for the homeless and abused pets in our community. The animals still desperately need your support, now more than ever.

Two-month-old Lizzie came to Lollypop Farm in late June. Weighing less than two pounds, this tiny bunny had a fracture in one of her back legs that required immediate veterinary care. Thanks to the support from friends like you, Lizzie was able to get compassionate care (and the tiny, tiny cast), that she needed to have the best possible shot at recovery. Since our community first received news of this pandemic, over 800 pets like Lizzie came to Lollypop Farm in need of a second chance. These animals rely on your dedication to ensure veterinary services, behavior intervention, and compassionate care. Act today by registering to be a hero for Barktober Fest and asking your family and friends to support your compassion for pets in need. Fundraising on Facebook and Instagram is easier than ever, and is just one way you can make a huge impact. We have many fundraising resources available to help you successfully raise critical funds for pets in need.

This year when you register for the Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest, you can create a Facebook fundraiser that goes directly towards your fundraising goal. Just like when creating a Facebook birthday fundraiser, you can create a Walk for the Animals Facebook fundraiser in which your friends, family, and coworkers can help you raise dollars that will show up in your Walk for the Animals participant center. Since we don’t know what the actual Walk for the Animals event will look like this year, your registration and fundraising is more essential than ever.

We’ve even compiled a Fundraising Toolkit to help you reach your goal and get even more community members involved in the effort to raise essential funds for pets in need. Click here to explore the fundraising toolkit.

When you register for the Walk for the Animals and create a Facebook fundraiser, regardless of what the actual event looks like in September, you will be ensuring that pets like Mayhem, a 2-year-old cat, get the loving care they need. Mayhem arrived at Lollypop Farm in June after he was abandoned by his owner. He was later adopted but quickly returned to the shelter for a second time when his new family found that he was just not the right fit for their lifestyle. Now, Mayhem can take as long as he needs to find his purrrrfect adopter, thanks to the support we receive from events like the Walk for the Animals.

Right-click to download Mayhem’s GIF above, and send it to your friends and family to remind them to register for the Walk for the Animals, or donate to your fundraiser!

Barktober Fest will take place this year. It may look different from past Barktober Fests, but we will continue to Walk for the Animals. Whether in person or across distances, we know that we can count on you to help homeless pets receive a second chance. Thank you for always stepping up to help homeless pets, no matter what the circumstances!

Register today and start fundraising to help pets in need: www.lollypop.org/bfest

The post How your Walk for the Animals Fundraising supports pets in need appeared first on Lollypop Farm.

11. A fun day for the whole family! (Furry friends included) With so many activities for pets and humans alike, the Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest is fun for all family members! You’ll have fun mingling with pet lovers from all over the community and meeting all their furry best-friends. You can expect to meet dogs of all different sizes and breeds. And who knows? Maybe your pup will make a new friend too!

10. Funds raised before and during the event help thousands of animals every year. Last year 7,089 pets were brought to Lollypop Farm received a second chance at a new home. Lollypop Farm cares for animals of all kinds, from dogs and cats to horses, goats, pigs, birds and more. You make these second chances possible.

9. Prove your pooch is a hot dog eating champion. Is your dog an eating machine? Make their dreams come true when you compete in the Hotdog Bobbing Contest. Not only will you go home with a happy dog, but you may win some fun prizes!

8.  Enjoy your favorite local brewery and food trucks! This year the Beer Garden is sponsored by our friends at Rohrbach Brewing Company! Not only will you have the chance to enjoy your favorite craft brews, but we’ll be selling one of a kind beer steins for $10. And food trucks like Chef’s Catering, Tom Wahl’s, The Red Fern, Ludwig’s Catering, and Nancy’s Fried Dough will ensure there is something for everyone.

7. Help seek justice for abused pets. Lollypop Farm maintains an SPCA designation and is charged with investigating and enforcing the animal cruelty laws of New York State. Lollypop Farm Humane Law Enforcement Officers investigate animal crimes in Monroe, Orleans, Genesee, and Livingston Counties. Last year, Lollypop Farm investigated 896 cases of suspected animal cruelty. Visit the Humane Law Enforcement booth at the Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest and learn more about how your support helps local abused pets get a second chance.

6. You don’t have to wait until Halloween to have some dress up fun. Do you dress up your dog for Halloween every year? Well here’s another chance to show off their favorite costume. Enter the Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest Costume Contest and you could go home with awesome pet-related prizes provided by Pet$aver Healthy Pet Superstore.

5. Giveaways from Rochester’s favorite pet-related businesses.  Friends of the animals like Pet$aver Healthy Pet Superstore, BONES Dog Bakery, and Bubba BowWow will be joining attending to help support homeless and abused pets. Learn more about what Rochester’s local pet-friendly businesses have to offer while your pups sample their tasty wares.

4. Soar to new heights! New to the Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest is the Adventures in Climbing Eurobounce. This massive trampoline is fun for people of all ages. We know it will have you jumping for joy!

3. It’s not just for the dogs. Last year 1,602 pets received individual support through the Lollypop Farm foster care program. The vast majority of these pets were cats and kittens. Often kittens arrive too young to be spayed or neutered. Many are so young they aren’t even weaned yet. But thanks to events like the Walk for the Animals, these cats and kittens are able to get individualized care with foster care families until they are ready to find new homes.

2. All the slobbery kisses. Monroe Veterinary Associates is sponsoring a dog kissing booth in partnership with Lollypop Farm’s pet assisted therapy program. For just $1, you can get a big wet kiss, learn about pet assisted therapy, and help homeless and abused pets.

1. You’ll be a hero.  The Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest may very well be the most fun you can have while making a huge difference for Rochester’s pets in need. Your registration and the money you raise will help provide homeless pets with the shelter, veterinary services, and the compassionate care they need. It also helps support the Humane Law Enforcement Department which investigates and enforces animal cruelty for our area. You’ll be making a big difference for Rochester’s homeless and abused pets.

Interested in signing up?  Learn more at: www.lollypop.org/bfest.

The post 11 Reasons to Join the Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest appeared first on Lollypop Farm.

11. You could win big! There’s always a ton of great prizes being raffled at Barktober Fest, and this year is no exception.  You could win two overnight stays at Home2Suites by Hilton and other great prizes.  Now that’s what we call double the fun to help pets in need!

10. Giveaways from Rochester’s favorite pet-related businesses.  Friends of the animals like Pet$aver Healthy Pet Superstore, Eastside Dog Services, Bark∙a∙licious, and Mighty Paw will be joining us to support homeless and abused pets. And be sure to check-in on Yelp and stop by their table at registration for even more cool giveaways. Learn more about what Rochester’s local pet-friendly businesses have to offer while your pups sample their tasty wares.

9.  A chance to prove your pooch is a hot dog eating champion. Is your dog an eating machine? Make their dreams come true when you compete in the hot dog bobbing contest. Not only will you go home with a happy puppy, but you may win some fun prizes from Pet$aver Healthy Pet Superstore too!

8. You don’t have to wait till Halloween to have some dress up fun. Do you dress up your dog for Halloween every year? Well here’s another chance to show off their favorite costume. Enter the Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest costume contest and you could go home with some awesome pet-related prizes.

7.  All the delicious tastings in the inflatable brew pub. We couldn’t be more excited about this new addition to the Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest. This party pub has been taking Rochester by storm, and will be filled with delicious tasting and pints from Three Heads Brewing, Honeoye Falls Distillery, and many others!

6. Make your dog jump for joy…through hoops!  Try your dog’s paw out in the sport of agility with the Lollypop Farm behavior and training team.  Your dog will have a blast jumping over hoops and climbing over walls.

5. Food trucks to please every palate! You’ll have a hard time choosing between all the scrumptious food trucks gathering to help Rochester’s pets in need.  Dive into a meatball sub at The Meatball Truck or grab a slider at the Chef’s Catering truck. And Rochester festival is complete without some funnel cake from Nancy’s Fried Dough. We’re drooling just thinking about it!

4.  V.I.P. access to the Iron Smoke Distillery tent.  When you raise or donate over $250 to help pets in need you’ll gain V.I.P. access to the Iron Smoke Distillery tent. These hand-crafted spirits are well-balanced and distilled in small batches in Fairport, NY for a delicious tasting experience you won’t want to miss. It’ll really get you in the “spirit” of Barktober Fest!

3. All the slobbery kisses. Monroe Veterinary Associates is sponsoring a dog kissing booth in partnership with Lollypop Farm’s pet assisted therapy program. For just $1, you can get a big wet kiss, learn about pet assisted therapy, and help homeless and abused pets.

2. A fun day for the whole family! (Furry friends included) With so many activities for pets and humans alike, the Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest is the biggest pet-friendly festival and walk to help Rochester’s pets in need! You’ll have fun mingling with pet lovers from all over the community and meeting all their furry best-friends. And who knows? Maybe your pup will make a new friend too!

And the #1 reason to join for the Lollypop Farm Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest is…

1. You’ll be a hero.  The Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest may very well be the most fun you can have while making a huge difference for Rochester’s pets in need. Your registration and the money you raise fundraising will help provide homeless pets with the shelter, veterinary services, and compassionate care they need. It also helps support the Humane Law Enforcement Department who investigates and enforces animal cruelty for our area. You’ll be making a big difference for Rochester’s homeless and abused pets.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up the largest pet-friendly walk and festival to benefit Rochester’s pets in need! Sign up today for the Walk for the Animals at Barktober Fest.

**Photograhs provided by: Stephen S. Reardon Photography

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