Goldenfest coming to Shell Factory this weekend
Get ready to romp – The Shell Factory will hosts the sixth annual Goldenfest from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4.
The event, sponsored by Golden Retriever Rescue of Southwest Florida, will be at Doggy Heaven at the front of the Shell Factory facing Cleveland Avenue and will feature many dog-friendly activities.
The event serves as the main fund raiser for the GRRSWF, which will use the money raised to the medical care of the goldens and the cost to room them.
The event, which started in 2009 to bring rescues and foster families together, has grown to become one of the biggest dog events of the year. After bouncing around for the first few years, it has found a home at the Shell Factory, known as a pet-friendly destination.
“The staff at the Shell Factory has been wonderful. The facility is very dog friendly and has proven to be a great partnership for us,” said GRRSWF volunteer Mark Dahlberg. “We expect to get about 500 people and 300 dogs.”
Activities include pet vendors, dock dog diving, Santa pet portraits, a grooming booth, raffles, a silent auction and an appearance from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office canine team.
The golden retrievers are the stars of the day, but all well-mannered, leashed dogs are welcome to attend, and there will be several rescue vendors of other species, including boxers and greyhounds.
“They’ll be out there to celebrate the afternoon. There will be hundreds of dogs and humans,” Dahlberg said.
Also expected to set up shop are numerous vendors: animal hospitals, boarding facilities, trainers, groomers and pet food companies. Royal Scoop Ice Cream will make some treats for both dogs and humans.
‘When we started here we had about 10 vendors. This Saturday we expect at least 35,” said Ric Tupper, marketing director and CFO of the Shell Factory. “We also expect to have more activities for the kids.”
The Shell Factory also will serve a doggy luncheon at its pet-friendly restaurants, which last year was very successful, according to officials.
GRRSWF will auction off cruises from Azamara Club, Holland America Line and Oceania, getaways to Key West, Los Cabos and the Smokey Mountains and more. You can come to the live auction or bid by proxy.
Raffle items include trips to the theater, dinner cruises, hotel tickets, gift baskets and rounds of golf, among other things.
Also at the Shell Factory will be the Sun Coast Dock Dogs, which will have a qualifying event for nationals that weekend.
“We look forward to it because not only do we provide the space for them, they provide new customers, who ordinarily wouldn’t come here, to us,” Tupper said. “Many people come with their dogs to Dogbones and it becomes repeat business.”
GRRSWF is a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to the rescue, foster care and placement of Golden Retrievers in Southwest Florida.