Greyhounds Reach the Beach
This Columbus Day weekend, Friday-Sunday, Oct. 10-12, greyhound enthusiasts from across the nation will converge on the Delaware shore to celebrate their love of this gentle and elegant breed.
Greyhounds Reach the Beach began as a gathering of a few friends in 1994 and grew to more than 3,000 greyhounds in 2005. This year, about 1,200 people and 2,000 greyhounds are expected to attend. Since its founding, other gatherings have sprouted up around the country, making it easier for folks to get their greyhound fix closer to home.
However, the Delaware gathering remains the largest of these events, and 25 percent of this year’s attendees will travel more than 500 miles - many from as far away as California, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Where do all those dogs stay? The Dewey Beach and Rehoboth Beach communities have welcomed the dogs with open arms. A recent survey of event attendees showed that the majority stay in hotel rooms (65 percent), and most of those hotel rooms are in Dewey Beach (57 percent) and Rehoboth Beach (35 percent). Next most popular are rental houses (21 percent), primarily in Dewey (63 percent) and Rehoboth (32 percent). Fifteen percent stay in condos, and nearly all condo rentals are in Dewey. Several hardy souls (5 percent) camp in Dewey Beach (Delaware Seashore State Park), Rehoboth Beach (Big Oaks Family Campground), and Lewes (Cape Henlopen State Park). Four percent stay with friends in the area, and 2 percent report living in the area. In fact, two attendees have purchased homes in the area as a direct result of the event.
Another interesting finding from the study was that 39 percent of attendees are in town by the Wednesday preceding the weekend, and 80 percent are in town by Thursday. Three quarters of attendees won’t depart until Monday morning or later.
Grotto Pizza in Dewey Beach, normally closed Columbus Day weekend, has elected to keep its bar and takeout areas open to the public. This year Grotto Pizza welcomes the seventh annual Greyhounds in Art Show, which lost its former home at the now-defunct Sunnyside Restaurant. Although wristbands are required for registered attendees to enter the art show, local residents will be admitted with their driver’s license or other proof of residency. The art show is open 5-9 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. The public is also invited to a reception with the artists from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday. More details and information on the 11 artists included in this year’s show are at www.greyhoundsinart.com.
Also new at Grotto Pizza will be a silent auction to benefit canine healthcare research. Items will be on display during the art show, and winners will be selected at 1 p.m., Sunday.
Sunday’s brunch speaker will be dog trainer Kathy Helmke, owner of the greyhounds that appeared with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts in the popular movie “Charlie Wilson’s War.” Among the weekend’s other activities are morning walks on the beach, educational seminars, an ice cream social, a costume ball, a blessing of the hounds and a memorial service to remember greyhounds that have passed. Canine Good Citizen testing is available and requires advance registration.
The full schedule of activities is available online at www.adopt-a-greyhound.org/dewey.
source: capegazette.com
