Clay County families and their dressed up dogs celebrated Halloween at the second annual Boo Bash & Barkfest at the Clay County Fairgrounds on Saturday.
The fairgrounds were filled with children and dogs dressed up in Halloween costumes.
For the children, the front of the event included a face painting area, a bounce house with a slide and a petting zoo area with goats, ducks, geese and chickens. For the dogs, there were many areas that were handing out pup cups.
The main attraction of the event were the live dog adoptions. Six dogs from Clay County Animal Services were brought to the event; Muffin, Ace, Miss Kenya, Rue, Pooh and Burt.
After around an hour, three of the six dogs had already been adopted, said Clay County Animal Services volunteer Darrell Frame.
He said that all of the dogs are spayed or neutered, microchipped and are up to date on all of their vaccinations.
Frame said that a normal week at the adoption center sees five to six adoptions.
“Adoption is a success,” said Frame. “These dogs need a home, these people need a friend.”
Tim Ellison, who was at the Boo Bash & Barkfest with his wife and daughters, discovered the event after his wife read about it online. The possibility of adopting a dog is what brought them in, he said.
He said he did not expect to leave with a dog, rather they were just going to see if they found one that matched with their family.
“Her name's Pooh, and we just fell in love with her,” said Ellison. “We were looking for a dog for our daughters, and she's very sweet so it worked out really good.”
The Boo Bash & Barkfest not only served as a way to bring the community together, but gave families a chance to welcome a new member to the family.
“I think it's wonderful,” Ellison said. “It brings everybody together and gives us something to do.”
The event served as an opportunity for some families to adopt a new member for their family, while others had the chance to learn more about local pet businesses.
The fairgrounds were filled with vendors and food trucks all along the area. Many of the vendors sold or promoted dog-related products, such as pet care or pet food.
One of the many vendors was Arista Advanced Pet Care, a 24/7 emergency hospital and specialty clinic in St. John's County.
The clinic opened in July of this year, so this is the service’s first year at the event. At its station were Justin Spencer and Krysta Dietz.
“We always want to try to be involved in community outreach and get our name out there to make sure people know about us, and how we can help their pets,” said Dietz, who is part owner of Arista Advanced Pet Care.
The event was a way to bring the community together to learn about the available options their pets have and how the vendors can help them, she said.
Another vendor at the event was The Astute Dog, a dog brand based in Jacksonville that specializes in limited- and single-ingredient dog treats. The company set up a location in Green Cove Springs in 2026, so this is their first year at the event.
Ulysses Ashley, one of the founders of The Astute Dog, talked about the importance of events like the Boo Bash & Barkfest for companies that are newer to the scene.
“We are a new company, we have been in business not too long,” said Ashley. “So just the fact of getting brand awareness is important.”