Dogs dominate Carol Stream festival

If you want to know which wiener dog is the winner, come out to Carol Stream next weekend and check out the CSBarks Dog Festival.

That's when wiener dogs, or dachshunds, will accept the challenge to run faster than their wiener dog brethren at the seventh annual festival, a free event presented by the Carol Stream Park District from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Carol Stream Town Center, Gary Avenue at Lies Road.

The dog-centric day will feature demonstrations and dog trainers, rescue groups, contests, dog-related sports exhibitions and a parade of breeds, said Mary Frusolone, park district recreation supervisor. She said between 2,000 and 5,000 people, many accompanied by canines, attend the event each year.

“We have an awful lot of rescue groups that come to the event,” Frusolone said.

Sky Dogz, a group of adopted shelter dogs who have mastered the art of catching flying discs, will perform from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“That draws a tremendous crowd,” Frusolone said. “They are amazing to watch.”

At 12:30 p.m. in the main arena, a game known as Fly Ball will be demonstrated. Teams of four dogs jump over hurdles to trigger the release of tennis balls. When the dogs retrieve the balls, they head back over the hurdles.

Because some activities allow for audience participation, festivalgoers are encouraged to bring their own hounds so they can get in on the action, Frusolone said. One example is the agility course that will be set up by the German Shepherd Dog Training Club of Chicago. Visiting dogs will be invited to try it out after trainers demonstrate, Frusolone said.

New this year is lure coursing, a game wherein dogs chase a mechanically manipulated lure, Frusolone said. Trainers from Leash On Life will show owners and their dogs how to try it, she said.

Dogs and their guardians will line up at the west entrance of the main arena for the 2:30 p.m. Parade of Breeds. Owners will be given signs indicating their dog's breed so spectators can easily identify them. Purebreds and mixed breeds alike are welcome.

“It is really fascinating to see all the different breeds of dogs that come to our event,” Frusolone said.

She said dock diving, an activity at previous CSBarks events, will not be part of the festival this year to make room for new activities.

Several contests will begin at 3 p.m. Frusolone said there's limbo, high jump, best dressed, longest legs, shortest legs and most striking dog/owner resemblance contests.

“We're looking forward to the creativity,” she said.

The festival also will offer photo booths, a photo contest, food trucks and free open-air trolley transportation from an off-site overflow parking area at 200 E. Lies Road, Frusolone said.

Wiener races begin at 2 p.m.

“This is a participation event, not an exhibition,” said Karen Notbusch, secretary of the West Burb Wieners, a nonprofit benevolent society that provides financial assistance to animal rescue organizations in need of medical services for their animals.

Dachshunds and dachshund mixes are eligible to race, she said.

“Any age, puppies up to seniors, and those with special needs — we accommodate them all,” Notbusch said.

The race entry fee is $5 per dog. All proceeds benefit the charitable animal welfare groups assisted by West Burb Wieners, she said.

“We are non-dog-nominational,” Notbusch said. “Our priority is dachshunds, but we'll help anybody we can. Cats too.”

Notbusch said wiener dog races are a crowd favorite at the festival. The dogs dash across a 40- or 50-foot expanse of grass in an enclosed area, she said.

Each dog has a team of at least two handlers, she said.

“You have a starter and a catcher. The catcher is down at the finish line,” she said. “The first one to get the entire dog down to the finish line is the winner.”

If you go

What: CSBarks Dog Festival

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13

Where: Carol Stream Town Center, Gary Avenue and Lies Road, Carol Stream

Cost: Free

Details: Dogs must be leashed and have updated vaccinations and rabies tags; female dogs in heat may not attend; handlers must be at least 18 years old and may handle up to two dogs; cats and other species are not permitted

Parking: Carol Stream Town Center and off-site at 200 E. Lies Road

Info: csbarks.org