Stratford Animal Rescue Society (STARS) will hold its annual Fall Festival to Benefit Animals on, October 11 from 11am to 5pm at Paradise Green in downtown Stratford. This year’s activities include a one-mile dog walk, food, contests, canine demonstrations, games, music, local celebrities and a silent auction. Vendors offering goods for people and pets will provide an interesting array of products for holiday shopping consideration.

The festival is STARS’ largest fundraiser and all proceeds sustain their mission of rescuing and rehoming homeless animals. Pets will be available for viewing/adoption at the event.

The one-mile dog walk scheduled to begin at 1pm is held in honor of Lois Minto. Minto was a kind and compassionate individual who passed away in 2013; she is credited with the idea for the dog walk. Preregistration for the dog walk is encouraged; it costs $20 for up to two dogs on the day of the event. Check-in for the dog walk is 11am to 12:30pm, but this time is subject to change.

Location: Stratford Paradise Green, Main St., Stratford. For more information or to preregister for the dog walk, visit STARSfest.org. See ad, page 71.