Dog Days Bring Joy to North Aurora’s Riverfront Park
North Aurora’s Riverfront Park took on a new charm on Saturday morning, thanks to some four-legged guests who stole the show. Beginning at 10 a.m., the village held its second Dog Days of Summer event, featuring a pet parade and a pet-themed vendor market.
Katrina Keilty from North Aurora enjoyed seeing the park along the Fox River through Duncan’s eyes, her Wooly Siberian Husky. Duncan, with his longer fur and two differently-colored eyes, competed in the ‘most unique’ category. Keilty considered naming him Dunkin because of his doughnut-like appearance. ‘Having a pet parade is a fun idea,’ she remarked.
Natalie Stevens, who handles community relations for the village, shared that the pet parade was once a part of the North Aurora Days festival but hadn’t occurred in years. ‘We all love our pets, so we chose to organize this ourselves,’ Stevens said.
The parade categories included cutest pet, owner and pet dress-alike, biggest and smallest pet, most unusual pet, and best trick. Prizes such as trophies and gift cards to pet supply stores were awarded for first and second places.
Vendors at the market offered items like handmade dog treats, pet clothing, and custom pet portraits. ‘We have wonderful local pet companies here, including doggy daycare, pet stores, and onsite dog rescue groups offering adoptable dogs,’ Stevens noted.
Despite some smoke from Canadian wildfires, eager participants came to showcase their pets. Lore Solano of North Aurora brought Dolce, a mini-long-haired dachshund with a rare cream color coat. ‘She’s in the costume contest and dressed as a princess. I’m a big dog lover and used to breed and show dogs,’ Solano shared.
Anna Califf of Westchester entered her full-bred Chihuahua, Lady Lucy, in the ‘Best Costume’ category. ‘I had to decide between best costume or look-alike since she’s won many contests before,’ Califf explained.
While only dogs joined the parade, all pets were welcome to attend. Laura McCoy from North Aurora pondered bringing her frog and toad, but ultimately opted for Caramel, a rescue dog. ‘We debated, but we didn’t think they would enjoy it,’ McCoy said.