Take Fido to the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, Mardi Paws Parade and More Wintertime Events
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Wintertime often can mean staying indoors or only enjoying a few hours outside to take your furry friend for a quick walk to relieve herself. But there are tons of events that make wintertime the perfect time to get out to a pet-friendly event when you're on the go. Here are a few wintertime festivals, fashion shows, and fun events to enjoy with your dog:
South Beach Wine & Food Festival's Nulo Pet Food's Yappie Hour (Miami Beach, Florida)
Cost: $75 for adults, $35 for kids (and anyone under 21), and Free for Four-legged Friends
Where: Loews Miami Beach Hotel, 1601 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
When: Saturday, February 22nd, 2020, 4 pm-6:30 pm EST
If you're looking for a star-studded event to attend with your favorite pooch while soaking up the sun, then you won't want to miss Yappie Hour at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami Beach. Every year, this Food Network-sponsored event teams up with various companies and celebrities to host one of Miami's premier food-infused weeklong extravaganza with events in Broward and Miami-Dade counties to benefit Florida International University's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, including one dedicated for you and your dog: Yappie Hour. As a family-friendly event, you can bring the kids, whether that means human children or furry four-legged French bulldogs.
For 2020, Nulo Pet Food is sponsoring Yappie Hour, which takes place between 4 pm and 6:30 pm on Saturday, February 22nd, 2020. You'll get a chance to enjoy the South Florida sun with your favorite four-legged friend among a crowd of canine companions, including the festival creator, director, and canine king Lee Brian Schrager and his four-legged besties Charlie and Stanley Brown. Chopped and Chopped Junior celebrity host Ted Allen is hosting this year's event, which promises tons of snacks and treats for you and your pooch. You can expect to sink your teeth into delectable bites and sipping on some of Tito's Handmade Vodka cocktails, too. You'll just want to make sure your dog is cool in crowds and is socialized. You'll also need to pick up after your pet, so don't forget to have a set of doggie waste bags on hand like these Earth Rated dog poop bags.
Mardi Paws Parade (Covington, Louisiana)
Cost: Free to watch; Between $25 for one dog to $250 for ten dogs and includes up to 6 human escorts per dog to participate at no additional cost ($10 each per additional human escort)
Where: Downtown Covington, Louisiana
When: Sunday, March 1st, 2020, 12:30pm-5:00pm CST (Parade starts at 2pm, Post-Parade PAWTY starts at 3pm)
While Mardis Gras is officially on Fat Tuesday, February 25th, in 2020, there are tons of celebrations that follow, including Louisiana's famed Mardi Paws Parade. This pet-friendly parade is a charity fundraiser and has been taking place since 1994 in Mandeville, Louisiana. But for 2020, Mardi Paws is heading to downtown Covington, just 10 miles north of Mandeville. You'll get to join actor, activist, director, and model Ian Somerhalder in this popular parade taking place in his hometown of Covington, which starts at 2 pm. You'll get to see cute dogs all dressed up in costumes and enjoy music, food, and a whole lot of fun at the post-parade extravaganza, which starts at 3 pm at Covington Trailhead.
You can watch the parade for free along with family, friends, and your fur babies. The Costume Contest is also free to enter once you register for the parade and features a celebrity judge panel. Your pet will also get the chance to win the coveted "poop" trophy and great prizes from the New Orleans Pelicans, BarkBox, Polkadog Bakery, and other event sponsors. But if you want to be a part of the parade, you'll need to register your dog. Tickets start at $25 for one dog up to $250 for 10 furry friends. The proceeds of the ticket sales support Mardi Paws and include up to six human escorts per dog. While you can register for your pup to walk the same day of the parade, you'll save tons of time by pre-registering online. But you'll need to purchase your tickets in advance as pre-registration ends on Saturday, February 29th, 2020.
You'll just need to follow the rules of the parade, including dressing up your pooch appropriately to match the theme of the parade. For 2020, the parade celebrates aviation, space and sea exploration with its Beyond All Boundaries: Exploring Sea, Air & Space theme. So, make sure to put your pup in a cute, theme-appropriate costume, such as this aviator bomber jacket harness from DOGGIE-DOGGIE, this SELMAI airman fleece winter coat waterproof hooded snowsuit, or this KaiLian pet sailor costume.
BarkHappy Sacramento Leap Year Pawty (Sacramento, California)
Cost: $10 early bird tickets, $12 general admission tickets
Where: SacYard Community Tap House, 1725 33rd Street, Sacramento, California 95816
When: Saturday, February 29th, 2020, 1:00pm- 3pm PST
Are you hanging on the West Coast? Then, head to BarkHappy's Leap Year Pawty in Sacramento. This dog-friendly event offers a chance to win door prizes and enjoy fun leap year activities with your furry friends. Proceeds from the event benefit the Chako Pitbull Rescue and Advocacy, which focuses on finding homes for pit bulls. Your paid ticket also comes with goodies worth over $75, including an Incredible Pets free dog wash voucher, a free Happy Dash Design Co. custom dog tag, and a free first-month service from the Sacramento-based dog poop pick-up service DooDoo Squad. Don't forget to bring your camera to take cute pics of you and your pet. For taking super-detailed photos, we're fans of Sony's mirrorless cameras like the Sony Alpha A6600 mirrorless camera and Nikon DSLR cameras and bundle packs, such as this Nikon D3500 bundle pack.
BarkHappy Austin BFF Doggy Fashion Show (Austin, Texas)
Cost: $15 early bird tickets, $18 standard tickets
Where: Nordstrom Domain Northside, 3111 Palm Way, Austin, Texas 78758
When: Sunday, March 1st, 2020, 11am-1:00pm CST
Looking to fuse fashion, fun, and a great excuse to spend even more time with your furry friend? Then, you'll want to make your way to Austin to attend the BarkHappy Austin BFF Doggy Fashion Show at Nordstrom Domain Northside. This pet-friendly event takes place just before regular store hours on Sunday, March 1st, from 11 am to 1:00 pm CST and benefits the nonprofit low-cost vet clinic organization Emancipet. You'll get a chance to enjoy exclusive shopping with your pooch and a fun doggy fashion show. You'll also get to sample free refreshments and appetizers from Nordstrom Domain Northside's on-site restaurant Bazille and enjoy treats from all-natural bakery Poochie Trend's on-site treats truck. The event also includes a free swag bag from Austin-based pet specialty store P & F Pet Provisions and free class passes from Orangetheory Fitness in Downtown Austin. You'll just want to make sure your pet is well-behaved and on a leash, such as this BAAPET strong dog leash.
Where Will You Jet with Your Pet This Winter?
Instead of just wrapping up for the winter, why not wrap up your winter with a pet-friendly event? From fashion shows to festivals, there are a ton of activities to choose from. Which pet-friendly event do you plan to jet to with your pet this winter?