Auburn’s Petpalooza is a monster of an event; perfect for families and animal lovers alike, with thousands of wagging tails and even roller-skating parrots, wallabies and pygmy goats! This pet lover’s haven for you and your four-legged family member or other furry friend kicks off Saturday, May 18, 2024 at Game Farm Park in Auburn.
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Written by
Brandie Ahlgren
- Photos courtesy of City of Auburn
The free event will feature live entertainment that will include, among others, Reptile Isle and Emerald Downs Northwest Pet Contest. Two live bands will be playing the perfect tunes to enjoy, while sipping a cold beverage from the Downtown Auburn Cooperative’s Beer & Wine Garden, which is adjacent to the stage. Petpalooza.
The event includes an agility area, Seattle FlyDogs demonstrations, and a variety of vendors offering low-cost pet services, animal adoptions, samples, information, and a huge selection of animal-related products spread over three separate fields within the park.
In partnership with CityDog Magazine, be sure to enter your dog for the chance to be Petpalooza’s 2025 Poster Dog! Simply visit the CityDog booth to register on the day of the event.
Auburn’s Petpalooza doesn’t forget about making kids happy (their parents too, as these activities are FREE!). This year’s festival will showcase a 15’ x 50’ no-barrier petting zoo. Once inside the enclosure, all the animals roam freely with the public. The zoo includes wallabies, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits and more. Children can also enjoy animal-related face painting, compliments of the Auburn Youth Council, FREE inflatable rides and ArtRageous hands-on art projects. Kids will love the reptile show, the parrot demonstrations, and the high-flyin’ dogs, to name a few!
Registrations are currently being accepted for the Dog Trot Fun Run, a family-oriented fun run/walk that takes place just prior to Petpalooza at 9:30 a.m. Participants may choose between the 3K or the 5K routes. The course is flat, easy and enjoyable for all ages and ability levels. The chip-timed race gives participants the most accurate finish times.
Awards will be distributed to the top participant in six age groups. Child (8 and under); Tween (9-12 years); Teen (13-19); Adult I (20-35); Adult II (36-54) and Senior (55+). The early registration fee is $20 per person and includes an event t-shirt, full-color race bib and a finisher’s medal. Registrations after March 31 are $25 per person and event day registration is $30 per person. Convenient on-line registration is offered at auburnwa.gov/petpalooza.
Come hungry, as Petpalooza has almost every food option you can think of from hamburgers and hot dogs to kettle corn, ice cream, coffee, pizza and more. This year’s festival will also offer a Beer & Wine Garden, located conveniently near the entertainment stage, so you can enjoy some great animal shows or fabulous live music while enjoying a refreshing beverage.
Complete event information can be found at auburnwa.gov/petpalooza. Find Auburn’s Petpalooza on Facebook here. For more information, please call Auburn Parks, Arts & Recreation at 253-931-3043.
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About the Author
Brandie Ahlgren is the founder and editor of CityDog Magazine, which she has built over more than two decades into a dog-friendly travel and lifestyle publication covering 20 cities across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Brandie and Pancho, her Mexican foster failure, live in West Seattle, where they're regulars at Westcrest Dog Park and can usually be found at a Bark at the Park game, arguing that the Pacific Northwest has the best dog culture in America.
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