Golden retrievers to frolic at Dewey jubilee Sept. 29-30

Dewey's Golden Jubilee will return to town Friday and Saturday, Sept. 29 and 30, when a confluence of golden retrievers and their families will spend a fun-filled weekend at the beach.

GoldRush Costume Parade participants will meet at 6:30 p.m., Friday, at Lake Gerar. The parade processes at 7 p.m. to Rehoboth Avenue for an ice cream social, and opportunities for shopping and dining at the beach.

Participants ready for fun, frolic and lots of tennis balls will meet at 10 a.m., Saturday, on the oceanside beach at Van Dyke Avenue in Dewey Beach.

A yappy hour is set for 4 to 7 p.m., at Mama Maria's in Dewey Beach, and a grooming demo is set for 6 p.m., at the Van Dyke Avenue oceanside entrance. A memorial bonfire on the beach will be held at 7 p.m., when members can honor their pups who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. All events are free, and all friendly pups and their families are welcome.

Many look forward to this fun event held twice a year to raise funds for the Morris Animal Foundation's Golden Retriever Lifetime Study. One of the largest, most comprehensive prospective canine health studies in the United States, the study seeks to identify the nutritional, environmental, lifestyle and genetic risk factors for cancer and other diseases in dogs. Each year, with the help of veterinarians and dog owners, the foundation collects health, environmental and behavioral data on more than 3,000 enrolled golden retrievers.