Middletown band the Wag takes the air, and canine aerialists Tyronne and Abbydoodle take a curtain call, as the Monmouth SPCA’s Dog Walk and Pet Fair returns to the Brookdale campus for its 21st edition.
It’s one of the most eagerly anticipated early-autumn events on the greater Red Bank Green — repositioned, for the second year, as a middle-of-spring event. Returning for its 21st edition on Saturday, the annual Monmouth County SPCA Dog Walk and Pet Fair commandeers the campus of Brookdale Community College for a colorful five-hour festival (10 am – 3 pm).
Co-sponsored by Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, the fundraising walk is simply the centerpiece of a slate of activities for adults, kids and canines, highlighted by vendor booths, adoption and microchip clinics, 50/50 drawing, food, face painting, doggie agility ring, “pupparazzi” photos, “cutest tricks” contest and even a “Canine PUPtials” wedding chapel. There’s live entertainment as well — including the return of a faithful favorite act, and what promises to be the final Dog Walk appearance by one of the most crowdpleasing acts on the pet-fair circuit.
The returning faves are the Wag, the Middletown-based combo whose infectiously perky brand of positively charged powerpop has set happy tails in motion at many a MCSPCA happening — and who apparently live for the season when they can get out in the open air and purvey their original music at parks, gazebos, portable stages and municipal docks. The cute-couple core of Brian Ostering (bass, vocals) and Alicia Van Sant (keys, vocals) are joined by guitarist Don Lee (a headlining singer-songwriter in his own right) and new percussionist Arielle Strauss for a set of tunes that begins at 11 am.
Taking one last Brookdale bow before a well-earned retirement are Tyronne and AbbyDoodle, the champion Frisbee-catching canines (from the Yankee Flyers Dog and Disc Club) scheduled to do their gravity-defying thing at 10:30 am. Also at 10:30 (and again at 12:30 pm) will be a demonstration of police K-9 skills conducted by Monmouth County Sheriffs Department Officer Jay Aretino and his partner Ari.
There’s more in store under the Saturday sun and sky, and it’s free to enjoy as a spectator — so take it here for a complete schedule, as well as details on registering a participating pooch ($25 in advance, $30 at the event), sponsoring an entrant, or donating to the MCSPCA’s programs.
