HeyDays gallops into Highland on Saturday, Sept. 10

Horsin’ Around in Highland plus Pet-A-PALooza equals one great family weekend with the first-ever Highland HeyDays.

Highland HeyDays is a two-day family festival held in downtown Highland geared towards bringing families, friends, neighbors, and pets together to celebrate the Highland community.

This will be the first year of the two-day festival after local organizations decided to combine the annual square dance with a pet awareness day.

The Highland Downtown Development Authority’s (DDA) Horsin’ Around in Highland has been a staple in the community for the past several years as a time for residents to cut loose with a square dance.

Pet-A-PALooza is a new addition to the community line up. According to Tami Flowers of the Highland-White Lake Business Association (HBA), some people were interested in having a pet awareness day like they had seen other local communities have.

And together the two have become a festival with many local entities — such as the DDA, HBA, Highland Conservancy, Huron Valley Council of the Arts, Highland Equestrian Conservancy, the Highland Township Library and many others — joining forces to make the festival a reality.

“We knew there had been discussion on how to make Horsin’ Around in Highland even better, so we decided to combine the two events together. It’s a good fit,” Flowers said.

“It just shows a true community effort with the community working together,” said Highland DDA Director Missy Dashevich.

HeyDays will kick off on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 9 a.m. with a 5K run benefiting both the Aicardi Foundation and the Highland Conservancy. The library will host a program called “How to Meet, Greet, and Treat Dogs” at 2:30 p.m. And then at 6 p.m., Horsin’ Around in Highland will begin with a square dance, beer tent, and entertainment.

Food will be available from Highland Feed owners Mike and Deb Maher as a fund-raiser for the Aicardi Foundation, a cause close to the family as their niece had suffered from the illness.

Also taking place Saturday will be a Fire in the Hole Chili Cook-Off to raise money for Highland and White Lake firefighters.

Pet-A-PALooza will continue the good times on Sunday, Sept. 11 from 11 a.m to 4 p.m. with a street fair which will include booths for local pet rescue groups, animal magic shows, pet photos, demonstrations, vendors, and contests. There will also be bounce houses, face painting, and a petting zoo for children to enjoy.

A portion of the proceeds from the street fair will be donated to Community Sharing.

“There’s really a little something for everyone. It’s not just for families with pets,” Flowers said.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for families to get out and enjoy their community. It’s a true family event,” Dashevich said.

For more information on the event, go to highlandbusinessassociation.com or visit the Highland HeyDays Facebook page.