Dog Days
Coming May 23, 2026! 11:00 a.m. on Town Hill
Dog Days is an annual event in memory of Sharon Smith, one of the beach's most remarkable dog lovers and animal advocates.
An old-fashioned Dog Mart on "the Point" with Music!
- Adoption event
- free training advice and demonstrations
- free grooming advice and demonstrations
- canine games: best trick, frisbee, water retrieve, regular fetch, find-a-bone, agility, costume parade, owner look-alike contest, and more!
Join us for fun, amateur games including tricks, stay & recall, mini-agility, find the bone, frisbee or tennis ball retrieval, water retrieval, and our famous pet parade with multiple awards including biggest, smallest, oldest, youngest, best 6 legs (polite leash walking), best costume, and more! This is the largest and longest running annual dog event in the Colonial Beach Area. All dog-friendly and people-friendly dogs, and their people, are welcome. Spectators are welcome, too!
A $10 donation is suggested at registration in support of Colonial Beach Humane Society.
Sample Schedule:
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Registration
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM Judged Parade: Best 4 Legs, Best Costume, Oldest, Youngest, etc.
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Games: Best Trick, Amateur Agility, Find-a-Bone, Water Retrieval, Land Retrieval, etc.
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Awards Ceremony
Vendor applications can be found hereFrom the organizers:
"We're "Going to the Dogs" in Colonial Beach, Virginia!
May is for Mutts...AND National Purebred Dog Day, National Rescue Dog Day, and National Pet Week!
NEW VENUE: We're moving to Town Hill this year! We will be using the Town Stage and Town Hill for our expanded event celebrating ALL Things Dog. DJ Flavor will be providing our audio equipment and background music, as well as special music for the traditional Who Let the Dogs Out PARADE.
OUR THEME this year is the Humane-Canine Bond as we celebrate Pet Dogs, Emotional Support Dogs, Working Dogs, Service Dogs, Companion Dogs, Rescue Dogs, and more!
Our event is kid friendly, pet friendly, and FREE and open to the public. Colonial Beach Dog Day is a Living Memorial to Sharon Smith, who founded the event in 2011.
Enter your dog in our parade, contests, and amateur games - $10 per dog/handler team to participate. Rescue organizations can set up a tent & table for free. Exhibitors, Vendors and Sponsors are welcome starting at just $25 for a 10x10 space.
Meet experts in the Working Dog, Service Dog, Competitive Dog, and Pet Dog Industry.
Dog Day features amateur games including tricks, stay & recall, mini-agility, find a bone, frisbee catch, tennis ball retrieval, water retrieval, and our famous Pet Parade with multiple awards including biggest, smallest, oldest, and youngest dog; best 6 legs (polite leash walking), best youth handler, best costume, and more! All dog-friendly and people-friendly dogs, and their friendly families, are welcome whether you participate or just watch! Call Caryn for details (540) 287-8207.
Co-Hosted by Colonial Beach Rivah Dogs & Colonial Beach Humane Society. Co-Sponsored by Relda Schick (Colonial Beach Yacht Center & Coldwell Banker Elite), Caryn Self Sullivan (Beach Paws Boutique & Ask Dr. Caryn), and Sue Clark (Colonial Beach Dog Grooming & ProDog VA)."
Typically held at the Colonial Beach Yacht Center (1787 Castlewood Drive) this fun yacht club event is a continuing tradition that participants wish everyone would enjoy.
Dog Days Origins
So, what exactly are Dog Days? They actually take their name from Sirius, the “dog star,” in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog) and the brightest star in the night sky. Going back at least to Roman times, it happens when Sirius rises and sets in conjunction with the sun. The ancient peoples believed this was responsible for the sultry days of sweltering summer heat. It can also define a time period or event that is very hot or stagnant, or marked by dull lack of progress.
The Old Farmer's Almanac lists the traditional timing of it as the 40 days beginning July 3rd and ending on August 11th. These are the days of the year when rainfall is at its lowest levels.
The Atlanta Rhythm Section wrote a song about it in 1975 on their album of the same name. There have also been numerous films with the same name.
The local annual yacht club event usually started on a Friday evening with visiting and socializing in the Hospitality Tent, and participants are treated to a live band and dancing.
Saturday saw activities like a scavenger hunt, shrimp boil and more live music. In 2010, the event coincided with the weekend of the American Power Boat Association's National Jet Ski Races in Colonial Beach so event participants were able to watch the racing action.
On Sunday, there was a Farewell Brunch mid-morning prior to everyone heading home.
2013's event took place on August 10th
Here's a video clip from the 2010 celebration
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