They always talk about the dog days of summer, but up in the tiny town of Doty, it’s actually the winter that’s for the dogs. This small town in the southernmost part of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is about 65 miles northeast of Wausau and it’s home to the cutest winter festival you could ever imagine. Sure, lots of other towns will have big stages or frozen turkey bowling, but Doty is the only spot bringing you The Dog Days of Winter Festival. This weekend festival takes place on February 8-10 in 2019 and it’s chock full of awesome ways to enjoy the great outdoors of a Wisconsin winter.
First of all, you can't find a more gorgeous location for a winter festival. The trees are dressed in snow and the beauty surrounds you.
To take advantage of that, The Doty Dog Days of Winter Fesitval is a true celebration of outdoor winter activities and will be offering all kinds of free activities, from a snowshoe hike to public sled dog races and a tractor ride to a bonfire site.
But really, the big draw here are the dogs. There are all levels of sled dog races taking place over the course of this festival and they are truly the best possible way to celebrate winter.
Sleds pulled by dogs were once the only way to travel through the cold and snow in northern Wisconsin as they provided access to areas that would normally be snowed or iced in. Places like Denali National Park still rely on sled dogs to traverse the cold, snowy landscape.
Over the course of the weekend, juniors and adults will race sleds using two, four, six and 10-dog teams. There will also be skijoring, with mushers being pulled on cross-country skis by one or two sled dogs. There is also a special bikejor event, with dogs pulling fat tire bicycles.
There's nothing like seeing these beautiful and amazing animals at work as they pull a sled through the wintery countryside. They are both the most adorable thing you've ever seen and the sleekest machine that runs together to accomplish a goal.
Of course, getting to relax and enjoy these awesome animals is the biggest perk and draw of the event. Your family will love getting to see these dog sled teams work together and accomplish amazing this. But you'll also love to see them at rest, looking for attention and conserving energy until they are needed again.
We're thousands of miles away from the Iditarod, but this small winter festival is a great way to experience sled dog race, skijoring and bikejoring. You'll fall in love with these furry friends who do some of the most grueling work in rotten conditions. The dogs are well-trained, impressive and jaw-dropping to watch.
What better way to celebrate and embrace winter in Wisconsin than to attend this unique, one-of-a-kind event where you can watch the sled racers in motion and also get a chance to try them out for yourself. The Doty Dog Days of Winter are the perfect Wisconsin winter festival!
This event is part of the Wisconsin Trailblazers Sled Dog Club and you can learn more about them on their website. The Dog Days of Winter Facebook page has more information about this specific event. You can also see the entry form with race details here.
The race will take place at Doty Community Center, 14899 County Rd T, Mountain, WI 54149.
