It is a lovely thing to live in a city so large. Really. Traffic aside.
Figure this. We have an enormous book fair each spring -- the LA Times Festival of Books of course -- and we have another sizable literary get-together in the fall, courtesy of the West Hollywood Book Fair.
Likewise, we have the famous Blessing of the Animals at Olvera Street on the Saturday before Easter; and we have the Interfaith Blessing of the Animals in Long Beach in the fall. It happens, in the fall, right around St. Francis Day, and the next Interfaith Blessing is on Saturday, Oct. 2 at Marine Stadium.
Companion animals of all sizes and hoovery and snoutery and slitheriness are invited; the horse in the photo above should say as much. Attendees -- human attendees, that is -- are also invited to bring a memento from an animal they have lost but who is not gone, at least in their hearts. Items will receive a benediction as well.
Because the day is put together by that lover of all things Long-Beach-ery himself, Justin Rudd, you can expect a lot of other lively goings-on. There will be the National Mutt Show, a Chihuahua contest, an ugly dog competition (and a cute one, too), plus pet adoptions.
The Blessing is free; you can also watch all the dogly doings for free. There is a fee to enter your pup in any of the contests.
