Hundreds of Greyhounds Gather in Little Canada, MN for the Annual Greyfest Celebration

Every year, hundreds of greyhounds of all sizes, colors, and ages gather at Spooner Park in Little Canada, MN for Greyhound Pets of America Minnesota's annual Greyfest. This event features fun for the entire family and is the greyhound rescue's biggest fundraiser of the year. The event is always held on the first Saturday in June, which this year falls on June 2nd. Starting at 11 am and ending at 4, it's a great event for greyhound owners and dog lovers in general.

Besides lots of mingling with other dog lovers and greyhounds galore, there are planned events throughout the day. These include pet portraits, competitions for best costume, best trick, fastest peanut butter licker, among others. There is also Speed Alley, where you can see how fast your dog can run or watch some gorgeous greyhounds get up to full speed running down the timed strip. Definitely fun to watch as some dogs run with blinding speed and others take their time and remind us why they are called RETIRED racing greyhounds.

There is a concession stand that runs throughout the event offering good food and eats to everyone with even a few treats for the hounds and nail trims are done by Petco, with all proceeds going to GPA-MN.

Probably the biggest draw to Greyfest is the raffle. Picture dozens of tables covered in prizes. Everything from movie passes to deluxe dog beds; coupons for overnight hotel stays to fancy electronics and kitty gift bags. While a lot of the possible prizes are geared towards greyhound breeds, there truly is something for everyone. Last year, some of the biggest draws were two huge petunia baskets, a digital camera, a quilt, and a custom painted life sized greyhound statue. Raffle items can be won by putting your colored ticket in the box. Tickets range from 50 cents to $2 each, depending on the value of the prize. Between large baskets full of fun stuff and high value items, the prizes are ALWAYS worth the money spent on tickets. And since all items were donated, all proceeds go to help greyhounds in need. Raffle ticket placing goes through shortly after 2:00 and prize drawings begin at 2:30.

For those like me who don't have the greatest of luck, you're also welcome to shop the many vendors of Greyfest. From custom designed collars to the Twin Cities Animal Bloodbank, you'll find a little bit of everything. This year's vendors include Benda Photography, Big D's Dog Training, Crazy 4 Canines, GPA-MN, Greytkards, Midwest Greyhound, Partylite Candles, Pet Chef Express, Petco, Petzlife, Sue Bjero Coats, Silk Road Collars, Susan Timmerman, and the Twin Cities Bloodbank. From t-shirts to custom cards, you'll find a little bit of everything for the dog lover in your life!

The event wraps up for the year at 4:00. By then, the hounds and people are exhausted, the prizes have all been claimed, and it's time to head home. Between a tired hound, a haul of prizes and finery, the money spent at this great event is well worth it. Every penny helps retired greyhounds find homes and I can think of no better way to spend the first Saturday in June than at Greyfest.