Dachshund lovers from across the area will gather in Plant City on Saturday, November 7, for the 20th anniversary of Doxapalooza, Florida’s largest dachshund event.
Hosted by Dachshund Adoption Rescue & Education (DARE), the free, family-friendly festival will take place from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Keel Farms. The annual event serves as DARE’s flagship fundraiser, helping support the organization’s foster-based mission of rescuing, rehabilitating and finding homes for dachshunds in need.
This year’s theme, ‘Red, White & Rescued,’ celebrates two decades of Doxapalooza with a patriotic milestone celebration featuring original artwork by illustrator Kay Hilde.
More than 2,000 people attended the 2025 event, making it the largest single-day dachshund gathering in Florida. This year’s celebration will bring back many of the activities that have made Doxapalooza a favorite among dachshund owners and animal lovers.
Attendees can watch the popular wiener dog races and lure course races, enter the costume contest, shop at DARE’s Doxie Market and visit dozens of vendors and food trucks. The event will also feature live and silent auctions, raffles and a blessing of the animals.
Nashville recording artist Brittany Moore will provide live entertainment during the celebration.
While the event offers plenty of fun for dachshunds and their families, its primary purpose is supporting DARE’s efforts to help dogs find loving, permanent homes.
“Twenty years of Doxapalooza means 20 years of this community showing up for dachshunds who don’t have anywhere else to turn,” said Alicia Duval, president of DARE. “Every wiener race, every raffle ticket, every vendor booth is what lets us keep doing this work. We can’t wait to celebrate this milestone with everyone who’s been part of it.”
DARE is a 100-percent volunteer-run, foster-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The organization relies on community support, foster families and fundraising events such as Doxapalooza to continue its work.
Doxapalooza is free to attend, and preregistration is available at www.doxapalooza.org.
For more information about DARE and its mission, visit https://daretorescue.org/.
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