Friday was the annual Bark in the Park at the Oakland Coliseum. Mommy and I missed it last year and were determined to go this year. So we kept watch on the calendar and when it was clear we had the time, Mommy got the tickets. This year - for the first time - Molly, Aunt B and Cousin Lil One joined us. My Mommy #1 stayed home to do her fan girl stuff. Teens!
It had been hot all week and Mommy was afraid it would AGAIN be hot on the day of the event - but the marine layer came back and cooled Oakland down to very pug-friendly temperatures. We were all happy about that.
Mommy made Molly and me t-shirts for the occasion. A lot of HUMANS dress their canines in fancy fancy costumes. Not my Mommy. She bought a couple of human baby tshirts for $4 and painted on them with fabric paint. Mine said Noodles and A's. . . Molly's said Molly and A's. Okay, not clever at all but Mommy did a good job on them.
We piled into Pugsley, Mommy's car, and took a HOT CAR ride to BART in Fremont. For those unaware of what BART is, it is a light rail system that connects cities on the east bay, San Francisco and some cities on the peninsula. It travels right to the Coliseum and is really the best way to get to the park. We were in a stroller because pets are not allowed on BART unless in a carrier. The stroller is basically a carrier with room enough for two of us.
Molly yipped and barked A LOT as she is prone to do when out and about. We were a little worried she would bark so much we'd get kicked out of the game. But she calmed down once we got there.
One of the first things we saw when we came down the ramp at the
Coliseum was the Lucy Pet table and big rig. It is unusual for vendors to have such a set up. So we looked around a little and then got into the HUGE line of pets and hu'rents waiting to get into the seating area. While we were in line these young DUDES came by and asked if any DOG was interested in surfing. I'm an OCEAN kind of pug so I said sure. So Mommy, Cousin Lil One and I wandered BACK over the the big rig while Aunt B and Molly saved our spot in line. What we saw when we got there was a LOT of SURF BOARDS and some fresh water. I am not prone to drinking out of community water but I was so thirsty AND nopuggy else had imbibed from the fountain yet. Win for Noodles.
I had more adventures at the Lucy Pet area but I am going to talk about those tomorrow and give EVERYPUGGY a little insight into Lucy Pet. So stay tuned.
Back at the line, we joined Aunt B and Molly for the HIKE UP A ZILLION stairs and into the event. It was a big walk for me since I am a small dog and a pug to boot. But I did it and was only wheezing a little when I got to the top. At the top we got GOODIE BAGS containing a placemat shaped like a bone (hmmmm, I forgot to take a photo) and a Bark in the Park bandana. Ahhhhh - but that was just the start. Once up on the plaza, there were tables set up by the various vendors like Petsmart, VCA animal hospitals, and Diabetes dogs. They were all giving stuff away and imparting some very important information about pet health and how pets can help humans with their health.
In line, we caught up with our FURiend Fezzik and his family. It had been a long long time since I chatted with him and it was good to catch up. His sisters, Zoey and Phoebe did not attend this time because they are getting on in years and having a lot of trouble with heat and stairs. I told him to give them my best as I miss them. They are two funny gals.
One booth had TATTOOing for FREE!!! Molly got one but it was kind of hard to get a picture of it. Basically she got the team logo A's tattooed on her butt in neon green and yellow.
What's important is SHE LIKED it and said it made her feel special.
This is the best photo Mommy got of her tshirt, too. You can't tell but it says Molly. . . A's similarly to mine.
From the tattoo table we then spun the wheel at a poop booth and the VCA booth. We all won prizes although nothing was as cool as the OAKLAND A's food bowl we got at ARF.
As we exited the ARF table, we spotted an ice cream machine. Guess what? They (I assume the Coliseum) was giving away FREE ICE CREAM to the pooches ONLY! You heard it here first . . . FREE ICE CREAM WITH TOPPINGS!
The toppings were bacon, chicken, and sweet potato. Molly did not like it and wouldn't eat it. I loved loved loved it and wanted to go back for more.
After we left the plaza, we hurried down the corridor, out the gate, down the stairs, in another gate, up some stairs, down another corridor, down some MORE stairs and out onto the PLAYING FIELD for the Parade of PETS. Actually we were NOT on the playing field because . . . well dogs and grass, YOU KNOW. But we did walk the warning track.
Molly chose that moment to POOP on the warning track - but just a little. I guess when you gotta go. . . Her Mommy picked it up because we never go anywhere without Poop bags.
Even if we hadn't, the Oakland A's organizers of the event included a LOT of pooper scoopers and pee cleaners as well as water stations, garbage containers, and greeters to make all of us pooches feel right at home and very welcome to be there.
We settled into our seats in the bleachers (but they were actual assigned seats) and got down to the business of watching the Oakland Athletics vs the Tampa Bay Rays.
It was a good game - a pitchers' duel and there was no score even into the NINTH INNING! The game went to EXTRA innings. We left, though, to beat the crowds at BART. When the game lets out the station gets very very crowded and it can take as much as an hour extra just to get onto a train. The good news is when we got home Aunt T told us the A's won in the 12th inning!
There was no crowd once we got to the BART station. We walked onto the first train into the station and before you know it, we were home. It was such a fun time at the baseball game and I am very grateful to the Oakland A's organization, Petsmart, VCA, and all of the vendors who made this event so much fun for HUMANS and PUPS alike. I cannot wait until next year.
