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For Bragg is celebrating the 2nd Annual Huckleberries and Hounds Festival today and tomorrow, Sept. 27 and 28. Two events not to miss: the dog art making contest at Racine’s at 11 Saturday and the Dine-With-Your-Dog barbecue at noon. You’ll have huckleberries and hounds everywhere. And don’t forget to check Fort Bragg restaurants offering huckleberry infused meals from Mendo Bistro’s pork medallions with huckleberry sauce to Cowlick’s Ice Cream huckleberry Sundaes.
Featured ‘hounds’ events:

Saturday
· Go-Dog-Go – Racine’s is hosting a FREE dog ‘art-making’ event. Starting at 11:00, you’re invited to come have your dog’s paws painted for a dash down their center isle on a canvas. The result should be two canvases, one to keep and one to be auctioned to benefit a local animal organization. It will be messy, but fun!! And don’t worry if your dog has had no formal art training – none’s required – except maybe some paper training as a pup.

· Dine with Your Dog Barbecue – The Surf Motel & Gardens will sell hot dogs and hamburgers (as well as veggie dogs), chips and drinks for $5 as a fundraiser for MCDOG, the Mendocino Coast Dog Owners Group; noon to 4 pm. While you enjoy your food, your dog stays by your side or romps with new friends in the Surf’s new fenced, off-leash doggie play area. 1220 S Main, Fort Bragg. The Surf will give free goodie baskets with pet gifts to the first 25 dog owners who show up for the BBQ.

Also at the Surf Motel BBQ – The Mendocino Coast Humane Society will have its Mobile Pet Adoption truck with cats and dogs in need of a good home.  And there will be AKC Canine Good Citizenship Testing. This includes a series of 10 activities to determine that a dog is in control, can be handled by others and the owner; will sit, down, and come when called; can meet another dog and behave appropriately, can walk in a crowd, can deal with distractions and not get overly frightened. Cost is $20.

Animal Communicator – Bring your dog to PAWS for a private session with well-known Animal Communicator Carol Becker, from 10 – 5. See Friday’s schedule for more information.

· Cooking Class - Chef Nicholas Petti of Mendo Bistro will hold a huckleberry cooking class at 1 pm Saturday, Sept. 27, as part of the City of Fort Bragg’s three-day 2nd Annual Huckleberries and Hounds Festival (FortBragg.com/hounds).

At the beginning of the class, huckleberry expert Eric Schramm will talk about the storied past of huckleberries on the Mendocino Coast and their popularity in San Francisco during the Gold Rush. Cost: $25 per person. For reservations, call 964-4974 or send an email to Chef Petti at eat@MendoBistro.com.

Sunday
Canine Search and Rescue (SAR) Demo – The use of dogs in search and rescue is a valuable component in responding to law enforcement requests for finding missing people. Handlers will show how hard working, well-trained dogs detect missing humans by scent. While you’re there, meet the Friends of the Mendocino Coast Animal Shelter, a dedicated group of volunteers working on behalf of the coast’s animal shelter. Fort Bragg Dog Park, S. Lincoln and Willow, 12 – 2.

Animal Communicator – Bring your dog to PAWS for a private session with well-known Animal Communicator Carol Becker, from 10 – 1. See Friday’s schedule for more information.

Featured ‘huckleberry’ food:
Breakfast
* Café One – huckleberry scones and pancakes
* Mendocino Cookie Company – huckleberry bran muffins

Dinner
* Mendo Bistro – grilled venison leg with huckleberry sauce and frozen vanilla soufflé with warm huckleberry soup.
* v’Canto – its pastry chef is planning a gourmet dessert.
* The Restaurant – pork medallions with a huckleberry scallion sauce.
* The Rendezvous – wild boar with huckleberry chutney and Muscovy Duck    with huckleberry-lavender sauce.
* TW’s Bar & Grill at the Trade Winds/Quality Inn – to be announced.

Dessert
* Cowlick’s Ice Cream – huckleberry sundaes.
* Carol Hall’s Hot Pepper Jelly Co. – wild huckleberry jam.