Community Partners Help Bring Barktoberfest Back to Boerne for Its Sixth Year

Hill Country Animal League recognizes the local businesses helping make October 17 celebration possible

BOERNE, TX, UNITED STATES, October 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Barktoberfest is returning to Boerne Main Plaza on Saturday, October 17, bringing together pets, families, local businesses and animal lovers for one of the Hill Country’s favorite fall traditions.

Hosted by Hill Country Animal League (HCAL), the 6th Annual Barktoberfest will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free to attend. The Oktoberfest-inspired festival will feature Doggy Dash and Dachshund races, a dog costume contest, adoptable animals from participating area rescues, local vendors, food trucks, beer, a petting zoo, silent auction and activities for the whole family.

Behind the festivities is the mission Barktoberfest helps support: making high-quality spay and neuter services affordable and accessible and helping reduce dog and cat overpopulation across the Hill Country. Funds raised through Barktoberfest support HCAL’s nonprofit clinic, which provides affordable spay and neuter surgeries and basic wellness services for local pets. That impact is made possible not only by the families who attend, but also by businesses and organizations that choose to invest in the event and the community it serves.

Community Support Takes Center Stage!
HCAL is proud to recognize Boerne Air Conditioning & Heating and State Farm Agent Ginny Thompson as the 2026 Barktoberfest Presenting Sponsors.

A family-owned and operated business serving Boerne and the surrounding area for more than four decades, Boerne Air Conditioning & Heating has deep roots in the community. Its support of Barktoberfest continues that tradition of investing in the families and organizations that make the Texas Hill Country home.

State Farm Agent Ginny Thompson and her team have also built a longstanding connection to Boerne and surrounding communities. Thompson has served as a State Farm agent since 1985, making 2026 more than four decades of serving area residents and businesses.

“Barktoberfest truly is a community event, and it wouldn’t be possible without businesses that believe in both the event and the mission behind it,” said Becky Forrest, Executive Director of Hill Country Animal League. “Our sponsors help us create a fun day for the entire community while supporting the affordable spay and neuter services at the heart of HCAL’s work. We’re incredibly grateful for their support.”

Top Dog Sponsors Join the Pack!
HCAL is also recognizing four Top Dog Sponsors whose support helps make Barktoberfest possible and extends the impact of the event beyond the Plaza:

1. Thrive Pet Healthcare provides veterinary care through a network that includes primary, specialty and emergency care services, sharing HCAL’s commitment to supporting healthier lives for pets.

2. Fair Oaks Emergency Room joins Barktoberfest as a Top Dog Sponsor and community partner supporting this year’s event.

3. Hill Country Animal Emergency Hospital, a locally veterinarian-owned emergency hospital in Boerne, provides emergency veterinary care to pets throughout Boerne and surrounding Hill Country communities.

4. My Urgent Care Clinic, with locations in Boerne and Bergheim, provides walk-in urgent medical care for children and adults and joins its fellow sponsors in supporting an event centered on healthy families, healthy pets and a strong community.

Together, these sponsors help make Barktoberfest a community celebration with an impact that continues long after the event ends.

A Day for Pets, People and the Hill Country Community.
Barktoberfest gives residents plenty of reasons to spend a fall Saturday at the Plaza. Visitors can cheer on four-legged competitors in the Doggy Dash and crowd-favorite Dachshund races, see creative pups take the stage during the costume contest, meet adoptable animals from participating area rescues, shop local vendors, enjoy food and drinks, visit the petting zoo and bid on items in the silent auction.

The fun lasts for a day, but the impact continues throughout the year. Funds raised through Barktoberfest help HCAL provide affordable, high-quality spay and neuter surgeries and basic wellness services across the Hill Country. By making these preventive services more accessible, HCAL helps prevent unwanted litters, supports healthier dogs and cats, and works alongside rescue organizations and community cat programs throughout the region.

This year’s Barktoberfest also comes as HCAL celebrates 40 years of serving the Hill Country, making the event an especially meaningful opportunity to celebrate the community that has supported its work for four decades.

Community members who are inspired by the generosity of this year’s sponsors can join them in supporting HCAL’s mission. Every gift helps HCAL keep spay and neuter and basic wellness services affordable and accessible throughout the Hill Country. Donations can be made through HCAL’s website.

Barktoberfest 2026
Saturday, October 17, 2026
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Boerne Main Plaza
Admission: Free

Families, friends and well-behaved, leashed dogs are invited to join the celebration.

For event information, race and costume contest registration, volunteer opportunities and ways to support Hill Country Animal League, visit the Barktoberfest event page at hcaltx.org/barktoberfest/.

About Hill Country Animal League
Hill Country Animal League is a nonprofit organization working to reduce dog and cat overpopulation across the Texas Hill Country by providing affordable, high-quality spay and neuter surgeries and basic wellness services. HCAL also works alongside rescue organizations and community cat programs throughout the region. Rather than operating as a full-service veterinary hospital, shelter or adoption organization, HCAL focuses on prevention and making essential services more accessible. Community support, including the HCAL Thrift Store, donors, volunteers, businesses and partners, helps keep those services affordable.

Becky Forrest
Hill Country Animal League
operations@hcaltx.org
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