EASTHAMPTON – The sixth annual Barks & Brews event, presented by Dakin Humane Society, is returning to Fort Hill Brewery in Easthampton on Sep. 19.

After conducting a virtual version of this event in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Barks & Brews will happen in-person this year.

According to Kaitlyn Holloway, the development and events coordinator for Dakin, Barks & Brews is a pet-centric event that features vendors, food trucks and activities for dogs. Guests are invited to bring crowd-friendly dogs on a non-retractable leash, but strollers and retractable leashes will not be allowed.

Activities for the dogs will include a hot dog eating contest, bobbing for apples, dog training demonstrations, as well as caricature art activities between people and their animals. Pet-centric vendors that carry pet-related crafts and dog print purses will also be available throughout the event.

“We’ll also have our Home Again thrift store that recently just reopened,” said Holloway. “They will be bringing out a whole bunch of pet items that are priced really low…like your leashes and collars, and all the fun stuff for pets.”

General admission tickets for the event are priced at $30, and a complimentary beer from Fort Hill will be included with the ticket. VIP tickets will also be available at $55, which will entitle holders to on-site parking, complimentary beer, an event t-shirt, and other extra goodies for dogs. The main event will occur between 1 and 4 p.m., but people with VIP tickets will also be allowed between 12 and 1 p.m. for a preview hour. All attendees must be 21 years old or older.

“We will have three food trucks outside,” said Holloway. “Crooked Stick Pops will be coming out, and they typically bring out dog ice cream, too.”

Food trucks for the event will include Crazy Arepas, Thai Chili Food Truck and Caravan Kitchen. A splash zone, courtesy of North King Animal Clinic, will offer wading pools for dogs to cool off in, in case temperatures are warm that day. Other dog-centric activities will include canine nail-trimming by Fur’s a Flying Pet Grooming and Day Camp – and baths by HydroDog – among other activities.

“We’ve been keeping an eye on guidance and just trying to proceed with that in mind,” said Holloway, regarding COVID-19 precautions. “We’ve made extra precautions just to keep everyone healthy and safe, for both humans and pets.”

For humans, Dakin is bringing in extra hand sanitizer for all the booths there, as well as a handwashing station. “It’s an outdoor event, so we’re hoping with the nice weather, everybody will be able to be outside with their dogs,” said Holloway. “We’re hoping that the September weather will bring some cooler weather for the dogs specifically.”

Historically, the Barks & Brews event occurs in June, but according to Holloway, Dakin pushed the date back to allow for more preparation time. They are continuing to watch the guidance in the weeks leading up to the event and will make any adjustments necessary.

“Barks & Brews is our Super Bowl,” said Eric Berzins, the owner of Fort Hill Brewery, in a comment to  Reminder Publishing. “We love our beer, but we love our dogs even more.”

According to Berzins, the last time Fort Hill and Dakin collaborated on this event, around $25,000 was raised for Dakin. Dakin is a non-profit organization that provides “innovative services” to help improve the lives of animals in need and people who care about them. In a typical year, the organization treats, fosters, and shelters over 20,000 animals. Barks & Brews is one of their biggest and most important annual fundraisers.

Tickets for the event can be purchased at https://www.dakinhumane.org/barksandbrews.html. A 50/50 raffle contest will occur on-site, but ticket holders do not need to be there if they win. Holloway believes that the turnout this year could be similar to 2019’s event, but if COVID-19 numbers get worse, then Dakin may have to limit the number of participants.

“We recommend that people buy tickets ahead of time since the event does typically sell out,” said Holloway, who added that there are currently a limited number of VIP tickets left. “We don’t anticipate having tickets at the door.”

The money raised during Barks & Brews will help fund community programs at Dakin, like pet food aid programs that assist people who struggle to feed their pets. The money will also help provide spay and neuter surgeries. Since 2009, the organization has performed over 200,000 spay/neuter surgeries, making it New England’s largest spay/neuter provider.