Mardi Growl is one of our favorite traditions and benefits the more than 11,000 pets that need care annually at Young-Williams Animal Center. Show off your creativity and pet’s personality by competing in costume contests, shop from local vendors and celebrate our shared love for pets. Mardi Growl not only raises funds through parade registrations and sponsorship opportunities, but it also celebrates our pet-loving community and the businesses who make our work possible. If you love pets as much as we do, don’t miss our 19th Annual Mardi Growl.

Calling all pet owners, animal welfare advocates and people searching for a fun family-friendly time! Be part of Knoxville’s biggest pet parade! The paw-rade starts in the Old City at 11 a.m. and  will go through the streets of Downtown Knoxville to World’s Fair Park. Register your pet to participate in the parade, or join the thousands of spectators along the route. The total parade route is  approximately 1.2 miles and ends at our festival on the Performance Lawn at World’s Fair Park. After the parade, have a dog-gone good time at our pet festival with nearly 100 pet-loving vendors,  food trucks, live music, games and more. Registration opens soon!

Mardi Growl wouldn’t be paws-sible without generous sponsors. Our 19th Annual Mardi Growl is presented by Zoom Room. Zoom Room dog training classes are specially designed to encourage  dogs to build confidence and success as they master new behaviors in a simple, step-by-step process. They utilize only positive dog training methods, which your entire family can easily practice  and embrace.