Dashing Down to WIENERFEST

BY MARISSA DONOVAN

DACHSHUNDS HAVE HELD a special place in Belfast for 18 years. Not just in the figurative hearts of enthusiasts of the breed, but also on the literal landscape of the Belfast Waterfront for Maine Wienerfest.

The festival began in 2004 when firsttime doxie owner Diane Wood was watching a CBS morning show segment about a picnic for dachshunds in Texas. This inspired her to start her own at Steamboat Landing Park. In 2009, after Friends of Belfast Parks built a local dog park in the area, Carol Good, president of the organization, and fellow volunteers stepped in to help Wood with Wienerfest. The next year Wood donated the money from Wienerfest to the Belfast Dog Park.

Following her retirement and move out of state, Friends of Belfast Parks took over the event as a fundraiser for the dog park and continued activities which include a parade, races, and costume contest, Good said. PAWS of Camden took over hosting the event in 2017 with con- tinued support from Friends of Belfast Parks. Since then, the summer attraction has served as a fundraiser for the nearby animal shelter.

Wienerfest had almost 900 attendees last year who gathered from all over the country.

“Some people plan their entire Maine vacations around this festival,” said Executive Director Shelly Butler of PAWS in Camden.

A list of this year’s sponsors of the event include Downeast Dog News, Coyote Moon, Front Street Shipyard, and Lincolnville Communications. Deb Bell of Bell’s Furry Friends Photography is the festival’s photographer, and Norma Whitman of Whitman Graphics created the logo design for the big day.

Once the gates open at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 10, Wienerfest kicks off with a parade of dachshunds and their owners. Prizes are then raffled off such as T-shirts, hats and other merchandise. Once everyone has had a chance to marvel over the many small dogs, costumes-wearing canines are judged.

“The costumes run the entire gamut,” Butler said. “We love to see as much creativity as possible.”

Next on the fun agenda is the doxie preliminary derby, where dachshunds race against one another.

“Wannabe” dachshunds are also invited to join the friendly competition. Winners of the preliminary go paw-to-paw in the championship derby to end the jam-packed day at 3 p.m. Rain or shine, you can also expect face painting and balloon animals for the kids, a hot dog stand for hungry stomachs, goodies made by Loyal Biscuit, and an obstacle course for the dogs. Tickets are $5 for adults, and dogs and children under 12 get in free.