Bob For Tennis Balls, Paw Paint And More At SPCA's Fall Festival, Saturday

On Saturday, your pup can go bobbing for tennis balls, paint with his paws and run for Homecoming King—all at the 's Bark in the Park and Fall Festival at .

A crowd of up to 1,000 is expected for the annual event, which is the Delco SPCA's final fundraiser of 2011.

Events are planned all day, beginning at 10 a.m. with a 2-mile walk for dogs and their owners around Rose Tree Park. The Fall Festival begins at 11 a.m., with contests, competitions, raffles, crafts, games and prizes planned all day.

Dogs adopted from the SPCA will be able to take place in the Alumni Homecoming Competition, in which two lucky dogs will be crowned Homecoming King and Queen, following the ruling of guest judges including Eagles Cheerleaders and 93.3 WMMR’s Matt Cord.

The doggy contests continue with several that any dog can enter, to compete for titles such as "Best Lapdog Over 40 Pounds," "Best Ears," "Best Kisser," and "A Face Only A Mother Could Love."

The day includes crafts for kids and pups alike, such as pumpkin painting, face painting, and paw painting—the canine version of finger painting. Dogs can also run an obstacle course, bob for tennis balls and more.

"We want to engage the pets more than in previous years," Delco SPCA Community Relations Director Justina Calgiano said.

The Fall Festival will also feature almost 40 vendors, some of whom own dog-related businesses (like groomers and pet care stores), as well as other area organizations. Many will hand out freebies like doggy treats and toys.

Food vendors include Nelson's BBQ, pasta from , peanut buttery delights from Wayne's PB&U, a Philadelphia cupcake truck, and Whirled Peace frozen yogurt. Each food vendor will donate at least 20 percent of their proceeds to the SPCA, Calgiano said.

The day is a fundraising event for the SPCA and organized to celebrate Media's pets, but also a day to promote the health and wellness of dogs, Calgiano said. The SPCA will offer low-cost vaccinations, microchipping and a heartworm clinic from noon to 3 p.m. Vaccines range from $10 to $20.

The organization is setting an aggressive fundraising goal of $50,000 for this year's Bark in the Park and Fall Festival. Last year's event brought in $37,000, but the SPCA is hoping to up that total this year.

The hope is that with all that has been going on with the shelter in the past few months, there will be even more support this year," Calgiano said. "We hope this will bring new people to the event."

The Delco SPCA Bark in the Park and Fall Fest will be held on Saturday, Oct. 8. Registration for the Bark begins at 9 a.m. and costs $25; the walk begins at 10 a.m. The Fall Festival runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. All events take place in .

For more information on the event or to donate online, visit the Delco SPCA website.