This past weekend, I had the absolute pleasure of attending one of the most adorable and exciting events in the area – the 27th Annual Buda Wiener Dog Races! As a Dachshund owner, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to check out all the fun and furry action at this beloved annual event, which regularly sells over 20,000 tickets per year! This year’s event was “Dune”-themed and featured an assortment of activities to accompany the races, like an International Barbecue Cookers Association barbecue cook-off, crafts and food vendors, and kids’ games. The best part of it all is that everything is dog-friendly! And no, you don’t have to have a dachshund to check out the fun, all breeds are welcome to enjoy the day!

Nestled in the charming town of Buda, just a short drive from Austin, the Wiener Dog Races brings together dachshund enthusiasts from far and wide for a day filled with laughter, excitement, and, of course, some seriously speedy pups! The Buda Lions Club, which has been part of the community since 1975, puts on the event each year at the Buda City Park. It is one of the many ways they raise money to give back to their community, focusing on projects that benefit those with vision impairments and other disabilities to ensure they are able to participate in their community and experience better living conditions.

Admission is $10 per person at the gate, and from there, you can check out a variety of activities for people and pets. We arrived in the afternoon and looked at some of the local businesses that had booths at the event, as well as grabbed some food. We had to be on theme and get hot dogs, but we also got some watermelon and eyed a turkey leg.

We got to watch the ‘How Fast is Your Dog’ competition, which was entertaining and featured a whole bunch of different breeds. If I remember correctly, the fastest dog ran over 30 miles per hour! We decided to stay put on the bleachers for the 30-minute break, so we had front-row seats for the 2:00 pm races.

The competition was fierce (and undeniably adorable!). There were 6 lanes per race, and the top two fastest dogs from each race qualified for the next round of finals. There seemed to be 1-2 dogs per race that knew what they were doing and actually ran full speed toward the finish line. Then, about 1-2 that had no idea what was going on and stayed down by the starting line. Then the other 2 fell somewhere in the middle. It was very entertaining and I’m already looking forward to next year! And before anybody asks, no, I did not have Kai compete. I wanted to see what it was all about first and my old man gets pretty tired from just walking, so I’m not sure how much he’d enjoy being a participant.

But the Buda Wiener Dog Races weren’t just about speed – they were also a celebration of community, camaraderie, and, of course, all things wiener dog! Between races, attendees enjoyed live music, delicious food vendors, and plenty of pet-friendly vendors offering everything from handmade treats to stylish accessories for their furry friends.

All in all, my experience at the Buda Wiener Dog Races was nothing short of pawsome! It was so much fun seeing so many pet lovers come together to celebrate their furry companions and support a good cause. Until then, keep those tails wagging and those wiener dogs racing!

Tags: , ,