'Music, memories, and mutts': Music festival lets dogs and their owners get groovy

EDMONTON -

A local festival is bringing together people’s love for live music and spending time outdoors with their dogs.

Called MuttStock, the event features local musicians, live entertainment, vendors, food trucks, a doggy water park, and wiener dog races.

Anjie Robinson, president and founder of MuttStock, described the festival as the best way for people to enjoy music with their four-legged friends.

“There aren’t a lot of big-scale events where you are supposed to bring your dogs,” Robinson said. “It’s a little bit of surprise and people really love to interact and socialize with their dogs.

MuttStock is a charity that supports eight animal rescues and the festival is their biggest event.

“Those rescues are struggling just as hard as anyone because of 2020,” Robinson said.

Savannah Thompson, with Second Chance Animal Rescue (SCARS), said animal rescues never stop.

“Over the last year fundraising has really slowed down but animal intake hasn’t stopped,” she said. “So we’ve really struggled and we had a couple really tough months there where we had to close down adoptions and intakes.

“Events like these are really huge for local rescues,” Thompson added. “This is fantastic. It’s nice to see everybody out for the same cause and supporting one another.”

This year marked the first time the annual music festival running since 2015 relocated to the Elmwood Park Community League Park at 12505 75 St.

“We started off in a different location and just outgrew the space,” Robinson said.

MuttStock hopes to raise $15,000 this year.

While the event allows dogs and their loving owners an opportunity to enjoy live music together, this year there was a cat booth at the event.

“Lots of dog lovers here, we’re a little biased,” Robinson said, as she laughed. “It is great all around.”

The festival runs all day Saturday until 6 p.m.