February 28, 2006                                                                     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Leslie Buell, Poochapalooza Coordinator at the Festival Office (659-7664) or                    poochapalooza@maryfest.com.

1^st Annual Marysville Poochapalooza Outdoor Dog Event

Seeks vendors for June 18 festival

MARYSVILLE – Poochapalooza, a new outdoor dog extravaganza showcasing the best and brightest pooches, is now accepting reservations for vendors. Whether you sell wares for the four-legged or two-legged set, this one-day event aims to draw more than a thousand visitors to snoop around the event from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, June 18.

Poochapalooza is much more than browsing, however. The event wraps up the final day of activities as part of the 75^th Annual Marysville Strawberry Festival, which draws more than 100,000 festival-goers each June. Poochapalooza will occur at Marysville Junior High’s Asbery Field at 4^th Street and Columbia Avenue, adjacent to the festival’s perennially popular Market in the Park. Snoop around.

“This year, the Strawberry Festival isn’t over until the dogs say it’s over,” says Leslie Buell, Coordinator of Poochapalooza, a special added event sponsored by the Maryfest, the nonprofit organization that hosts the annual festival.

Poochapalooza will put dogs front and center for a tail-wagging day filled with Puget Sound Dock Dog jumping demonstrations as seen on ESPN Outdoor Games; an agility training course provided by NOAH, an animal rescue organization; Flyball demonstrations; dozens of pet vendor booths, interactive displays and other activities that will have tails wagging. Festival-goers especially will not want to miss dogs and owners earn their way to prizes for cutest ugly dog, wackiest pet trick, best costume, best kisser, most talented, celebrity look alike and other categories. The festival also includes a special guest appearance by Ryan and Brandon as seen on Bravo’s 2005 hit reality TV series, Show Dogs Moms and Dads.

Entry Fee for participants to this event is $15.00. In addition you will receive a limited edition  “Pooch” bandana.

“If dogs were event planners, they would do Poochapalooza,” Buell adds. For more information contact the Maryfest office at P.O. Box 855, Marysville, Wash. 98270 or call the office at (360) 659-7664. To sign up on line as a vendor or participant go to www.maryfest.com and click on the “Poochapalooza” link under the “events” tab or click here.