Dog Days of Summer Brings Family Fun to Irwin Park

Round up the family, leash up your friendly, four-legged pooch and head over to Homewood’s Irwin Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday for the .

 “It’s not just a dog-lovers event, it’s a fest for the family,” said Rachael Jones, public relations and special events manager for the village.

It’s also a great way to end the summer as the kids get ready to go back to school, she added.

“You don’t want to miss the Chicago (Boyz) Acrobatic Team at one o’clock,” Jones said. “If you do, it’s one of those things you’ll hear people talking about at the grocery store or in line at Dairy Queen.”

Many residents got a preview of the professional gymnastics troupe at the village’s New Year’s Eve family festivities last year. They perform big half-time shows at the Chicago Bulls games and travel the country. Their performance includes amazing acrobatic stunts and tricks inside twirling jump ropes, catapulting off mini trampolines and thundering tumbling routines with impeccable timing.

Other highlights of this year’s Dog Days include the always popular Pooch Parade,  local restaurants serving hot dogs, specialty sausages, coffee drinks and kettle corn, the Oscar-Meyer Weinermobile, a flea market featuring local businesses, booths showcasing a variety of pet rescue groups and local pet services, a balloon artist, a juggler and stilt walker, live music by the Fret Brothers, and Dog Days T-shirt coloring.

The Pooch Parade allows owners to showcase the uniqueness of their canine companions.

“We’ve had up to 100 different dogs in the past and we expect the same this year,” Jones said, adding that people can register their pooches for free, beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday. 

The competition for “Top Dog” begins at noon with the parade to follow. Winners will be chosen, based on originality, in five categories: Most Original Dog Team, Most Humorous, Most Unique, Best Celebrity Look-Alike and Best in Parade.

Another popular attraction is the Dog Days T-shirt coloring activity, Jones said. “It’s great to see people around town wearing shirts from past years. We have a new design this year and T-shirt sizes from toddler up.”  The cost is $5 each and includes the use of markers and other craft items to design your unique shirt.

Dog Days is hosted by the Homewood Community Relations Commission and the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District. In addition to the village, this year’s major sponsors are Petco and Charter One bank. For more information, visit www.homewoodevents.com

Dog Days Schedule

Fret Brothers   9-Noon
Face Painting  10-2
Balloon Artist 10-1
Stilt Walker     10-11
Pooch Parade  12-1
Acrobats          1-2
Parade Winner announced      2