Barks & Brews 2026: A Little Rain & A Lot of Fun!

Although Sunday, October 11 brought a few clouds (and eventually some rain), nothing could dampen the enthusiasm of the 300+ people who joined us for the 11th annual Barks & Brews event at Fort Hill Brewery in Easthampton.

The festivities kicked off with a special VIP hour from noon to 1:00 p.m., followed by general admission from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Throughout the afternoon, attendees–many accompanied by their dogs–enjoyed Fort Hill's craft beers, delicious food truck fare, plus shopping and activities.

Vendors offered something for everyone, including locally made crafts and pet-themed gifts, dog nail trims, dog baths, a photo booth, and much more. Guest emcee Matt Peterson of 94.7 FM WMAS kept the energy high with a fantastic lineup of upbeat music and helped announce our contest winners.

Barks & Brews was a fun mix of old and new activities for dogs. Crowd favorites included our canine hot dog eating contest and the ever-popular Halloween costume contest. We also introduced two new activities: Musical Sit, a dog-friendly twist on musical chairs that challenged pups to sit as soon as the music stopped, and Dog Painting Canvas Art. For this creative activity, dogs used their noses and paws to smoosh paint around on small canvases tucked inside ziplock bags, with a little spray cheese on the outside for encouragement. The result? One-of-a-kind, mess-free art masterpieces.

But the best part of all? Together, we raised more than $30,000 to support Dakin's animals, programs, and services!

To everyone who attended, brought a furry friend, participated in an activity, visited our vendors, enjoyed a beverage, or simply came out to show your support –THANK YOU! Your enthusiasm, generosity, and love for animals made this event truly special. We're so grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s Barks & Brews such a success. We had an amazing time, and we hope you did, too!

A heartfelt thank-you to Fort Hill Brewery for once again being such a gracious and welcoming host. We're also incredibly grateful to our generous sponsors, whose support helped make this event possible:

Brewmaster Sponsors: Dead River Company, VCA Animal Hospitals

Top Dog Sponsors: Country Bank, Enlite Cannabis Dispensary, Gage-Wiley Investments, Hurley & David Air, Holyoke Mall, Idexx, PeoplesBank, Ramon Financial Services, TruNorth Bank, Curry Honda Chicopee, UMassFive Credit Union

Party Pup Sponsors: Greenfield Savings Bank, Bacon Wilson, P.C., River Valley Co-op, The Good Dog Spot, Marcotte Ford

Media Sponsors: 94.7 WMAS, The Republican

We salute all the Dakin volunteers who worked very hard to make Barks & Brews a big hit!

Below are some photos from Barks & Brews!