Dogs have their day
AUGUSTA. Canines are king at the fifth annual Pupstock Festival at the Sussex County fairgrounds.
Augusta /
| 18 Jul 2023 | 03:46
Puppy foam parties were part of the fifth annual Pupstock Festival on Saturday, July 8 in Augusta. (Photos by Daniele Sciuto)
Dogs licking in the peanut butter eating contest.
Elena Philolius poses with Packers the grateful dog, who won first place in the costume contest.
Dogs cool off in wading pools.
Dogs check out a play area full of colorful balls.
Brian and Shay Powers with their dogs Finn & Sadie. They adopted Sadie at the festival last year through Father John’s Animal House.
Dogs take part in the costume contest.
Custom paw prints are hung in the Doggie Art Zone tent.
Winners in the costume contest, from left, are in second place Gianna, Preston and Joanne Macon and their dog Maple as grandma and nurses; in third place Beau and Bowie as wedding dates; and in first place Packers the grateful dog and owner Elena Philolius.
Bella, posing with owner Allison Koenigsberg, took first place in the peanut butter eating contest.
The event was held at the Sussex County fairgrounds in Augusta.
Jack D’Angelo performs.
The Red Reyne Band performs.
Veterinarians Darnelle Blackman and Isabela Marmolejo, both of Heart + Paw in Lake Hopatcong, offer health tips for dogs.
Melissa and Nicole Soucy sell T-shirts and help people sign up for the costume contest and peanut butter eating contest.
Carol Fass and Eilis Calnan of St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Chatham Township.
Mary Ullman of the Byram Animal Rescue Kindness Squad (BARKS).
Hundreds of people and their dogs gathered for the fifth annual Pupstock Festival on Saturday, July 8.
The event at the Sussex County fairgrounds was dedicated to our four-legged friends.
Kristin Vincent-Ferraro, creator of the Pupstock Festival, has a rescue dog. “We couldn’t adopt every dog. We wanted to do something to get other dogs adopted.”
The festival, which was not held for two years because of the pandemic, has attracted between 700 and 1,200 people,depending on the weather. The crowd this year was estimated at about 1,100 people, which included 500 walk-ins.
Vincent-Ferraro said people come from all over, with some people driving more than two hours.
Activities included puppy foam parties, a bubble extravaganza, a peanut butter eating competition and a costume contest. The Doggie Art Zone tent had a table where owners could create a custom pawprint of their pet, a do-it-yourself Tattoo Zone, Rainbow Scratch Art and face painting.
Veterinarians from Heart + Paw, an animal hospital in Lake Hopatcong, gave two wellness talks during the festival.
Live entertainment was provided by the Red Reyne Band and by Jack D’Angelo.
For adults wanting an alcoholic beverage, there was a Yappy Hour in the beer garden. The 25 vendors included food trucks and those with dog-related items for sale.
Pupstock Festival sponsors were UEM Events & Design, Elixir Mobil Bar, Sussex County Mixed Martial Arts & Fitness, Heart + Paw, iHeart Media, Bark and Bones Bakery, and lawyer Elenora L. Benz.
Fourteen volunteers helped out with the festival.
Proceeds benefited BARKS Animal Rescue and St. Hubert’s, both of which offered information about pet adoptions.
In the past, Father John’s Animal House was at the festival, but Vincent-Ferraro wanted to feature different shelters in Sussex County.
Eilis Calnan of St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Chatham Township said, “This is the first time we are a vendor for Pupstock. It’s been really successful.”
Vincent-Ferraro said the organizers try to come up with activities for dogs, adults and children to enjoy, making the festival different from other dog events.
It takes about a year to put together the Pupstock Festival. Shortly after it is finished, organizers start planning for the next one.