Dogs are the stars at Carol Stream's 'CSBarks' event

Four legs definitely were better than two on Sunday at the Ross Ferraro Town Center in Carol Stream.

The 6th annual "CSBarks" dog festival, organized by the Carol Stream Park District, took place at the Town Center site throughout the day. Hundreds of canines of every size, shape and disposition roamed the grounds and enjoyed the many doggy activities on tap - flying-disc catching, racing, obedience demonstrations and more.

"We brought her last year, and she seemed to enjoy it, so we figured we'd try again," said Maggie Cunningham of Wheaton, who was accompanied by Trixie, her 4-year-old French bulldog. "It's pretty cool that they have a big thing like this just for dogs."

"I was a little worried because he's not always the best-behaved when there are other dogs around," Carol Stream resident Chris Campana said, referring to his 6-year-old German shepherd, Toby. "So far, though, aside from a couple snarls, he's been great."

The free event took place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. By lunchtime, the Town Center site was bustling with barking, jumping and sniffing pooches.

CSBarks offered a full slate of entertainment, including flying-disc performances by Skydogz, an afternoon parade of breeds and several sessions of dock diving, in which dogs competed to see who could leap the farthest into a pool from a dock. The dock diving events were hosted by Ultimate Air Dogs.

"That was definitely the part I liked the best," said Glendale Heights resident Hank Paulson. "My dog didn't compete, but it was fun just to watch those jumps. Some of the dogs looked like they were about to fly right out of here."

Four-legged attendees (and their owners) also browsed in the Fido Shopping Mall, which was home to more than 70 vendors selling dog necessities like treats, toys and grooming services. A number of dog-rescue organizations maintained booths, as well.

Other dogs ran free in the off-leash areas or caught a breather in the Rover Rest Area.