To me a Labfest is a big event food, games for the dogs a social for the dog owners It may last a full day or a weekend. You may have to travel hours to get to it and stay over night.


A play date is a small local gathering of owners and dogs to let the dogs play and the owners to visit. A few hours long and it's close to home.

For you planners Set a date set a location and post it. The people that want to come will be there The people that want the event in their town won't. And if you can, try to plan it for the same time each year that way folks from other areas can plan to attend.

We have our events every year the last weekend in September. We went from 15 people and 23 dogs in 2006 to 35 people and 50 dogs this year. And the event site is 100 miles away from the closest person that comes. I travel 8 hours to get there and we have people from Wisconsin, Florida, New York, and the Carolinas show up.
I know that is way extreme for most of you But when an event is in your state or across a state line 3 or 4 hours away you should plan on the road trip. How knows you may have a good time.