Calling all dogs: GoldenFest XII is set for Nov. 13 at the Shell Factory
A huge pet fair, GoldenFest XII, is coming up in Southwest Florida.
Hosted by Golden Retriever Rescue of Southwest Florida, the festival will be held at the Shell Factory & Nature Park in North Fort Myers from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13.
GoldenFest events include dozens of vendors, exhibits, dock dog diving, obedience, flyball, scent work, trick and agility demos, sheriff’s office K-9 demos, live music by the Rosada Project, dancing by the Calendar Girls, refreshments, a Santa Paws photo booth, a huge raffle and silent auction, and much more.
In attendance will be hundreds of goldens rescued by GRRSWF over the years, each sporting an “Adopted” bandana. The rescue, founded in 2009, has saved more than 1,000 goldens and golden mixes, from Florida as well as South Korea.
“We are so proud of all the pups and all the families we have helped in the last 13-plus years,” said Dennis Guyitt, vice president of GRRSWF and GoldenFest XII project manager. “GoldenFest is our chance to show our friends in Southwest Florida the best of what we do.”
“GoldenFest is our annual fundraiser that raises money to help the dogs we take in,” said GRRSWF President Alesia Galuppo. “This event started out small years ago and has turned into a huge amazing family fun event. We have all kinds of fun activities for the whole family, human and canine alike, to enjoy. People come from all over for GoldenFest and it is such a joy to see everyone having such a good time. It is because of gracious donors and GoldenFest that GRRSWF can help so many dogs, especially those with special medical needs.”
There will also be a reunion tent for the golden retrievers GRRSWF has rescued from South Korea. Since 2015, the rescue has saved more than 70 goldens from that country to raise awareness about the dog-meat industry that still exists in some parts of the world. The group has also rescued three goldens from Iran and two from China as part of its international mission.
“This will be our 12th annual GoldenFest and it should be our best yet,” Guyitt said. “We have events like obedience, agility and flyball demonstrations, pony rides, live music, on-site food and beverages, plus continuing with our fan favorite: dock diving. This is the best and largest dog event of the year.”
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office will have a huge presence at GoldenFest this year, with K9 demonstrations, deputy dogs, training demonstrations, the Sheriff Carmine Marceno ice cream truck, a SWAT Team Bear Cat vehicle, and a virtual reality vehicle where visitors get to experience a deputy’s real life decision-making.
A group from ABC 4 K9, a dog-training group in North Fort Myers, will be doing obedience and rally demos. Representatives of Bratty Paws in Punta Gorda will do canine agility demos. There will also be dock dog diving, always a popular draw.
Additionally, the event will feature representatives of the North Fort Myers Fire Control District displaying equipment and vehicles.
Vendors include a huge variety of pet-related businesses, services and nonprofits.
A huge raffle features gift cards from restaurants and attractions, pet-related goodie baskets, tickets to sporting events and rounds of golf, wine baskets, luxury items and more.
The masters of ceremony are Peter Busch and Lisa Spooner from NBC-2.
The Gunterberg Charitable Foundation – Brotherhood of Heroes is the Title Sponsor. Additional sponsors are David and Linda Lucas; Subaru of Fort Myers; the Kiwanis Club of Cape Coral; Enterprise Holdings; Florida Weekly; Jeff Cull and Ella Nayor; Duckberry Designs; Florida Restoration; Roxanne and Cliff Smith; In Memory of G. Gordon Bailey; Morris Animal Foundation; United Way Beesley’s PawPrints; FineMark National Bank and Trust; FETCH; Monique and David Fry; Flight Fast Track; an anonymous local family foundation; Lee County Sheriff’s Office; and the Shell Factory & Nature Park.
The Shell Factory is at 16554 N. Cleveland Ave. in North Fort Myers.
All breeds of well-mannered, leashed dogs — especially golden retrievers — are invited to attend with their owners. Admission, parking and bandanas for all dogs attending are free.
For more information, visit www.grrswf.org, email info@grrswf.org or call 239-369-0415.