The only thing better than a community event is a community event that uses alliteration. Throw in the undeniable combination of adorable dogs and delicious food, and you’ve got a real winner in the form of Bark & BBQ, which is back this Saturday on the Harley-Davidson Museum Campus at 400 W. Canal St.
The event runs from noon to 4 p.m., and it’s hard to imagine anyone who brings a four-legged friend not being able to fill just about all of that time considering the sheer number of canine and culinary activities.
Let’s start with our furry friends and the 30 vendor booths catering to their various needs — from grooming to boarding and treats to vets. Those are mostly geared toward the human companions, but there’s plenty more to keep your pooch engaged:
- Camp Bow Wow ball pits
- Ralphie’s off-leash area
- Bark N Scratch Outpost photo booth with Brew City Events
- Bacon-flavored bubbles with Yutka Fence
- Peanut butter station with State Farm Agent Adam Chamorro
- Swiftpaws lure course
- Flyball demonstrations
- Free goodie bags while supplies last at the B93.3 tent courtesy of Stella & Chewy’s
The ball pits and lure course have nominal fees of $5 each, with proceeds going to the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation, which funds urgent medical care and helps with veterinary bills for serious conditions. The dog-related fun also extends to an entertainment schedule featuring a variety of contests, including peanut-butter licking, best trick, best bark/howl, best wag and best costume.
That’s already a lot, and we haven’t even touched on the BBQ portion of the title, which finds some of the area’s finest purveyors of smoked meats all in one place: Double B’s, K&L’S BBQ, Big City BBQ, Backyard Flava and the H-D Museum’s own Motor Restaurant.
Bark & BBQ is free to attend, although there is a VIB (Very Important Barker) package that gets you early entry at 11 a.m., two adult beverages, an appetizer buffet (human food) on Moto’s patio and one H-D Museum admission ticket. You’ll also receive a package for your dog that includes a Toss & Chew disc, bandana, custom cookie and can lid, and additional toy.
For more information on Bark & BBQ, including how to get VIB tickets, visit the event’s webpage.
