POTTSTOWN PA – Animals of all kinds, and possibly some you never imagined might be pets, will be joined by their caretakers Saturday (Sept. 7, 2024) for Pottstown’s 13th annual Pet Fair. It’s free to attend and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Memorial Park, 75 W. King St.
The fair, recognized over the years as one of the largest of its kind in Pennsylvania, features interactive booths, family activities, and adoptable animals from 50 regional rescue organizations. It also includes animal healthcare providers, animal welfare agencies, canine bakeries, crafters, pet-centric businesses, and several food vendors.
On the 4-hour, rain-or-shine schedule are:
- Traditional dog and cat rescue groups with animals on-site in need of placement;
- A large variety of other animals to meet and greet, including a ferret rescue; a pot-bellied pig “mascot” of an agency that offers pet insurance, Swiss brown show-cows, the alpacas of the Silvermoon Farm, and various reptiles from Big4Critters; and
- A petting zoo operated by Party Animal Express from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
There’s “something for everyone,” according to the fair’s organizer, Pottstown’s Parks and Recreation Department.
Additionally, the first 300 visitors who attend will receive gift bags provided by sponsoring organizations. For the hungry, the event will also involve several food trucks.
As it has in past years, Pottstown’s Pet Fair also hopes to help care for animals that have not yet found “forever homes.”
It is conducting a drive to receive donations of pet food and animal care products. The collection will benefit the Animal House Project of Pottstown, which provides a pet food pantry as a part of its animal welfare mission. The drive occurs “at a time when the level of food and goods in the pantry is at an all-time low,” the Parks and Recreation Department reports, and contributions are welcomed.
The department intends to keep Pet Fair fans up-to-date on its happenings; for latest news and updates, see its Facebook page.
The pet fair honors its co-founder
The late William “Bill the Cat Guy” Sharon, a Pottstown resident who died in August 2018, was a co-founder of the Pet Fair and is now annually remembered during the event by his friends and colleagues. He began developing and promoting a proposed pet fair in 2010, which was first held in the borough’s Smith Family Plaza on East High Street.
The first Pet Fair opened with 25 vendors and five sponsors. Over the years, hundreds of vendors and thousands of visitors have enlarged Sharon’s dream beyond what even he might have hoped for. “Bill was a man who was dedicated to giving back to his community, and we remember him fondly each Pet Fair,” department representatives noted.
The Pet Fair continues “in memory of his dedication to animal welfare, and to his beloved hometown of Pottstown,” it adds.
Photos from earlier Pottstown Pet Fairs by Travels With The Post
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