Blessing of the Animals Celebration

Start: Saturday, October 3, 2026 10:00AM
End: Saturday, October 3, 2026 3:00PM

Come for the Blessings - Stay for the Festival

39^th Annual Blessing of the Animals Celebration

Tampa Bay’s largest Blessing of the Animals Celebration opens at 10 AM on Saturday, October 3^rd, at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church, 706 W. 113^th Ave, Tampa.  The joyful, family-friendly festival offers fun for the entire family – people and pets.  Admission is free.   

In the Blessing of the Animals Service at 11 AM, people and animals join together in a hymn of Thanksgiving to God for His Creation.  All animals receive blessings and St. Francis medals.

One of the nation’s premier animal rights activists, Wayne Pacelle, is speaking at the “Compassion in Action” forum at 12 Noon.  Mr. Pacelle was featured in the news most recently for negotiating the release of the more than 1500 Ridglan beagles and the closing of that Wisconsin facility. 

Children of all ages can enjoy discovering frogs from around the world on the Frog Walk at 1 PM.  Dog training demonstrations run throughout the day.

At the Animal Rescue Village, families can meet, play, and adopt dogs, cats, pigs and more at a dozen animal rescue groups.  The festival offers more than two dozen vendors and exhibitors in The Marketplace, family games such as Ducktoberfest, and a place to relax and enjoy a meal at Café Under the Oaks.

Admission to the festival is free.  People who can are asked to donate a small bag of pet (especially cat) food to the “Bring a Bag – Feed a Pet” station.  Those who need pet food can pick up a bag there.

St. Clement’s Episcopal Church is nestled into a quiet corner of Forest Hills in North Tampa.  It is a vibrant, caring, family-friendly community with a great love of animals.