The beautiful City of Kingsburg does not assign a theme but feel free to dress yourself and your bassets in a festive mode if you feel so inclined!  It is Kingsburg's annual Swedish Festival.  

This year another group have rented the gazebo area at Memorial Park so we have chosen a different corner of the Park to act as our 'gathering point' and for our picnic following the parade.  Look for the GEBR banner!  Golden Gate Basset Rescue and Basset Rescue Network at Acton (Daphneyland) will also be there to support us.  Memorial Park is a great location as we just have to step off the curb and we are on the parade route.  

The parade route runs down the main street of Kingsburg.  It is a very popular event and the route will be packed with spectators!  The bassets are always a favorite entry in this parade, and we hope that all basset groups in attendance will be able to walk together as one.  The parade is right around a mile in length so if your hound(s) cannot handle that distance, then please bring a wagon if you can. We may have a pooped pup truck but this is not guaranteed.  If your hound does get distressed, please drop out of the parade and wait until they (and/or you) are recovered, then head back to the park.  We do not know what the temperature is going to be yet.  In the past it has been anything from hot to just right to down right cold.  So, the best advice is to dress in layers and plan to keep you & your hounds comfortable.  

The park is established with mature trees. You may still want to bring shade cover, x-pens, blankets etc.  Water will be available at the park but you may want to bring water from home to avoid upset tummies.

This is a fundraising event... think of it as a sponsored walk! There WILL be contests.  We are going to have a King & Queen of the parade. Whoever brings in the most donations at registration (top male and top female) gets the honor of being crowned King & Queen. You will travel the parade route in their own transportation... we can't have their Royal Paws touching the pavement!. The King and Queen also get to wear a very special, one of a kind, Crown... created by Dawn Smith ('Dawn of the West') from BaRNI at Daphneyland in Acton, CA.  There will also be contests for BEST HAT, BEST COSTUME & BEST WAGON!  Get decorating and designing!  Judging (three places in each category) will take place before the Waddle.  

If you bring in donations (of at least $15) for the king/queen contest then the registration fee is waived. 

Golden Empire Basset Rescue has set up a Firstgiving Page (click here), which you can use to copy (click on the link that says "I want to raise money too" under the heading and create your own page to circulate to family, friends & work colleagues to raise funds.  Or just collect pledges in the old fashioned way... or run a fundraising event like a lemonade stand or eBay auction... NB IF YOU TRY TO REGISTER ONLY WITHOUT ADDING ANY PAYMENT TO YOUR CART (e.g. LUNCH) THE REGISTRATION SYSTEM WILL NOT LET YOU.  It needs to have a paying item in the cart to process the order.  In that case, please email jpx@sbcglobal.net with your intention to be at the Waddle and bring a donation, along with your parties name(s) and the name(s) of your hounds. 

Registration fee for everybody else is $15 for the first basset in a family and $5 for every other basset in the family.  This will help us cover the cost of the parade and picnic.  

Click HERE to register.  Pre-registration is encouraged, to help us plan, but registration can also be done at the event, between 8-9:30am. 

Lunch will be served after the parade...$5 per plate (to include sandwiches, chips, water and cake) - payable in advance or on the day.

There will be a raffle table with some amazing items to win, and an opportunity drawing for Airline Tickets (as long as at least $200 is raised... if it isn't the draw will become a 50/50 instead) and the drawings will be done after lunch. 

There will also be a memorial balloon release.  For a donation of $5 you will receive a helium filled balloon on which you can write the name of your departed hound (or person).  The balloons will be released after lunch  and they will rise to the Rainbow Bridge while "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" is played.  Bring tissues (although we will have some handy for you)!!  

You do not need to be present to take part in either the Opportunity Drawing or the Memorial Balloon Release.  Although we would love to have you with us at the Waddle we understand that not everyone can be there and this is a wonderful way to help raise funds... Opportunity Drawing tickets are $10.  Memorial Balloons are $5.  Click on the PayPal donate buttons below and tell us on the donation form what the money is for - and if it's a balloon, what you would like to be written on it.  

(Unfortunately, PayPal does not allow raffle tickets to be bought through its system, so any orders for the Opportunity Drawing (OD) will say Waddle Donation, which is what it is.  Donations for the OD and the Memorial Balloons can be purchased at the same checkout as the other registration items if you are attending)

Opportunity Drawing

Memorial Balloon Release

(DON'T WORRY IF THESE LINKS GO TO GGBR'S PAYPAL ACCOUNT, WE WILL GET THE DONATIONS FROM THEM!)

There will hopefully be a truck to take us from the end of the parade back to the park and possibly for the pooped bassets during the parade.  Anyone with a truck we can borrow? Especially a flat bed... low and easy to get on for both humans and short legged basset hounds! Seriously, please contact Jill Peterson at jpx@sbcglobal.net.  However, the walk back to the park is a mostly shady walk on sidewalks and lawns.

We will be at the park till 3pm but are usually done between 1:30 & 2pm.

PLEASE JOIN US AND ENJOY THIS WONDERFUL TRADITION!!

Use the registration options below to pay by credit/debit card via our PayPal checkout, or email Jill at jpx@sbcglobal.net for snail mail check registration instructions!