Gateway hosts first ‘Pets on Parade’

INCLUDES DOGGIE VIDEO | Take a look at this enjoyable outer East Portland community event, where critters were the star of the show …

In Gateway Discovery Park, the first Pets on Parade is underway.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

Saturday morning, August 13, in Gateway Discovery Park, there were joyful giggles, laughter, music – and some good-natured woofing and barking by the honored guests of this first-time-ever pet-centric event.

“Welcome to our very first ‘Pets on Parade’, here today,” greeted Gateway Area Business Association (GABA) District Manager for Venture Portland. Sarah King.

Organizing the event is Venture Portland’s GABA District Manager Sarah King.

“The GABA Board Members brainstormed how to create fun community events; and this is one of them,” King told East Portland News. “Then, GABA applied for and received a grant through Venture Portland for hosting the event. We got local businesses to donate prizes, and to be involved; then we invited the community to come and be a part of it!”

Attendees visit local vendors and representatives of organizations at this “parade”.

The event included a face painter, a “pet poet”, and representatives of two area pet stores. That, in addition to lots of free books provided by The Bookmobile Babe. The main event was a “Doggie Fashion Show”.

Unique toe-tapping music was supplied by Accordion Diva Jet Black Pearl. It’s the soundtrack of our “Pets on Parade” video:

We have a winner!

The Doggie Fashion Show judges – Karla Nolt from Jet Black Coffee, Fred Sanchez of Realty Brokers, and Lily Pak of Small Business Network – congratulate the First Place Winner, Mita the dog, and her human, Erin O’Neill. Mita here is wearing a Puppo Poncho made by her owner.

“One of our main goals for having things like this was bringing ‘paws-ative’ energy into the community,” grinned King. “Getting people engaged in what’s going in the GABA Neighborhood Business District, and having some fun, is what this event is all about,”

Learn more about the Gateway Area Business Association at their official website: CLICK HERE.

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