Mar. 06, 2026
Pets and animal lovers will take over downtown Knoxville on Saturday, March 7, for the 19th annual Mardi Growl pet parade and festival benefiting Young-Williams Animal Center, the official municipal shelter for the City of Knoxville and Knox County.
Mardi Growl is Knoxville’s biggest pet parade and celebration of the community’s shared love for animals. Pet owners are encouraged to show off their creativity and their pet’s personality by registering to walk in the parade and compete in the costume contests. Thousands of spectators are also expected to line the parade route to cheer on the participants.
The “paw-rade” begins at 11 a.m. in the Old City and travels through the streets of downtown Knoxville ending at World’s Fair Park. The approximately one-mile route concludes at the Performance Lawn, where the Mardi Growl pet festival will take place. After the parade, participants and spectators are invited to enjoy an afternoon filled with costumes, nearly 100 pet-loving vendors, food trucks, live entertainment, games and loads of tail-wagging fun.
Early bird parade registration is $15 per pet and available through Thursday, March 5, at www.young-williams.org/mardigrowl. Day of registration increases to $20. Registration for the pet festival is not required.
“Our community shows up in such a joyful way for Mardi Growl every year,” Young-Williams Animal Center CEO Janet Testerman says. “The event raises critical funds while also celebrating the pet-loving businesses and supporters who make our lifesaving work possible. Mardi Growl is a wonderful time to celebrate pets, have fun as a community while supporting our mission of a home for every pet.”
All registered pets and owners receive a swag bag. Day-of registration and check-in for the parade and costume contest takes place in front of Covenant Health Park on East Jackson Avenue from 9-10:30 a.m. Free Parking is available on the street along Magnolia Avenue and in the lot at the corner of Gay Street and Magnolia Avenue.
In addition to the Best in Show pet, Young-Williams Animal Center will judge pets in five other categories Team Spirit, Celebrity Look-alike, Leader of the Pack, Two of a Kind and Most Creative.
Mardi Growl, presented by Zoom Room, is one of the shelter’s most beloved traditions and largest fundraisers. Funds raised by the event support the more than 11,000 pets that come through the doors at Young-Williams each year.
About Young-Williams Animal Center
The vision of Young-Williams Animal Center is “a home for every pet.” It is the municipal shelter of the City of Knoxville and Knox County, and each year takes in more than 11,000 animals.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Young-Williams Animal Center serves the needs of lost, unwanted, abandoned and neglected animals. The center’s mission is to lead the community to end pet homelessness, promote animal welfare and enhance the human-animal bond through the shelter and placement of animals, spay/neuter initiatives and public education of companion animal issues. Young-Williams Animal Center reminds pet owners to spay and neuter their pets.
Young-Williams Animal Center’s main facility is located off Sutherland Avenue at 3201 Division Street. Young-Williams Animal Village satellite adoption location and public spay/neuter program is located at 6400 Kingston Pike.
Both locations are open seven days a week from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The shelter closes from 1-2 p.m. for an hour of quiet time for the animals. For more information about Young-Williams Animal Center, call 865-215-6599 or visit https://www.young-williams.org/.
