Dog Days of Summer Festival on deck for Sept. 21

After months of planning, the Dog Days of Summer Festival will take place from 3 to 7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21, on Sand Street in Milton.

“This is a festival for people passionate about food, music and dog rescue. We want to deliver to our attendees an exciting, fun and wonderful experience,” said Annette Babich, festival co-founder.

The music lineup includes the JC Andersen band from Nashville, The Pawnshop Roses from Philly and hometown favorite the Al Frantic Band.

The Dog Days of Summer Festival will feature local craft beers from Dogfish Head Brewery and Big Oyster Brewery. “This feels like a mini craft beer festival inside the Dog Days of Summer Festival,” said Mal Meehan, festival co-founder.

Six food trucks will offer Italian sausages, pizza, southern barbecue, and Caribbean and Indian cuisine plus a selection of ice cream. Kids under age 16 accompanied by a parent may attend the festival free of charge. There will be face painting, a bouncy castle, video gaming truck, cornhole and frisbee golf.

“We want to create a fun, family-friendly Saturday afternoon with wonderful experiences including activities, games, food, music, shopping, and maybe in the process you rescue a dog,” said Babich.

The festival will benefit three local organizations: Doggone Happy Animal Rescue, Milton Community Food Pantry and Milton Historical Society. “We want to raise awareness about animal rescue, community hunger and education. We love our town and want to support local initiatives,” said Meehan.

For more information, go to www.dogdaysofsummerfestival.com.