Dogs to take center stage in Ramona at BowWow PowWow

Open to dogs, dog owners and dog lovers throughout the area, the Ramona Kiwanis BowWow PowWow fundraiser will be held at the Outdoor Community Center on Saturday, Sept. 13.

Families are invited to show off their pups — whether they’re purebreds, mixed breeds or mutts — and everyone can watch as the pooches showcase their talents.

Admission is $5 for adults and free for children age 12 and younger, and to one dog and handler with registration. Registration starts at 10 a.m. with the show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Registration fees are $20 for up to 5 contest categories. Signups are online at ramonakiwanis.org or at the show at 10 a.m. 

Contestants may choose from among nine categories:  Best Costume (adult’s dog), Best Costume (child’s dog), Most Beautiful (Female), Most Handsome (Male), Dog and Owner Look-alike, Most Talented, Best Tail Wagger, Cutest Little Dog, and Best Kisser. The event culminates in “Best in Show.”

“My favorite event is Best Costume,” said Kiwanian Jon Stephens, event chair. “People really come up with some great costumes.”

New this year is the 2025 BowWow PowWow program with ad sizes range from $500 for the full Inside Front page and $500 for the full Outside Back Cover to $250 for a half page and $125 for a quarter page or business card. Complimentary ad design is included in the fee. Sponsors must provide their own art/logos or business cards and information for the ad.

To be included in the program, contact Ramona Kiwanis Marketing Chair Pene Manale at 619-920-6826 or email ramonakiwanis1@gmail.com by Monday, Sept. 8.

Sponsorship opportunities:

• $500 includes a full page ad in the program, name on all printed materials, opportunity to address the audience, company banner, lunch, and link on website and Facebook;
• $250 sponsors of selected categories, half page ad in the program, company mentioned when the selected category is being judged, company banner, and link on website and Facebook; and
• $125 business card ad in program and link on website and Facebook.

All sponsors will have the opportunity for a booth at the event.

Among businesses and individuals already signed up as event sponsors are Rancho Land Company, Servepro, Ramona Disposal, Ransom Brothers Ace Hardware, Senior Solutions, My New Leaf Insurance Services, and Realtors Tiffany Lynch, Paul Tarr, and Sharon Quisenberry.

For additional sponsorships, contact Stephens at 760-877-9358 or stephjo1966@gmail.com or Manale at 619-920-6826. The service club’s foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with EIN number 52-2405196.

Vendors are welcome. Booths of 10 feet by 10 feet are $10 for nonprofits and $40 for profit vendors. No electricity is available and participants will bring their own tent, table and chairs. Set-up will start at 8 a.m. No food vendors will be accepted.

For a booth application or more information, email stephjo1966@gmail.com.

Companies donating a gift basket for the opportunity drawing or a silent auction item will be mentioned when the basket or auction item is announced and donations are featured on Facebook posts for the event.

In addition to the entertaining competition, the  event will include food, opportunity drawings and a silent auction. Among silent auction items are dog houses made by Montecito High School teacher Nick Jordan’s construction students.

The food items Kiwanians will offer at their booth will include quarter-pound hamburgers and cheeseburgers, brats, veggie burgers and hot dogs with all the fixings, and nachos, root beer floats, kettle corn, and potato chips. Soda and water are among available beverages.  

Kiwanis started this Ramona tradition in 2004. Held annually, the show experienced a brief hiatus, restarting in 2023 after the COVID shutdown.

“It’s a fun-filled event under the sun with barbecue and lots of proud and loving pet owners and their pets,” Stephens said in his letter to prospective sponsors.

Event proceeds go to Ramona Kiwanis Foundation projects benefiting children, military families, seniors, and the community.  

An event flyer, registration form, booth application, and sponsorship form may be downloaded at k05182.site.kiwanis.org/bow-wow-pow-wow/. The Outdoor Community Center is at 421 Aqua Lane.