Dachshund devotees: Get ready for Walla Walla Wiener Weekend.
Whether you have a dachshund, know one, want one or just think they’re cute, consider yourself invited to a June 13 celebration of the notoriously clever breed and the people who love it. Wiener dogs from far and wide will be the guests of honor — cheered on in races, costumes and fun contests at Waitsburg destination events space The Selah.
The inaugural event is free to attend with online reservations. “It’s a fun way to kick off summer,” organizer Kristen Garcia says.
Garcia is a schoolteacher, wife and mother whose family includes Johnson, a male longhaired chocolate wiener, and two smooth Isabella-and-tan females, Lucy and Pixie.
Garcia started the Walla Walla Wieners group in July 2025 to connect dachshund owners and build community around the dogs. By November, the first Wiener Walk was organized with a group of about 25 dogs along the paved Mill Creek trail. The next month, dachshunds on leashes scurried their little legs through downtown Walla Walla for a Walla Walla Wiener entry in the annual Parade of Lights. Since then, Garcia and her husband have recruited numerous wiener families to join their pack and share in the love of the dogs.
It’s not a hard sell, she says. With their long bodies, short legs, big personalities and array of coats and colors, wiener dogs are a hoot — not to mention easy fodder for event wordplay.
“You can’t see a group of wiener dogs and not laugh,” Garcia says. “They just bring joy.”
Walla Walla Wiener Weekend fulfills an even bigger goal to launch a regional gathering where dachshunds can descend on the community from far and wide.
For those who can make it, an informal meet-and-greet is slated for Friday, June 12, in downtown Walla Walla.
“There are a lot of people coming from out of town. We’ll meet and introduce them to Walla Walla,” Garcia says. “Anyone sitting downtown when we do a little wiener walk is going to crack up.”
On Saturday, guests will head out to The Selah, flanked by wheat fields and vineyards. More than two dozen local vendors will be at the property, all offering their own twists with something dachshund related.
In partnership with Dox Racing, the force behind Northwest Wienerfest, the event will include wiener races. A costume contest is expected, as are other contests, such as longest wiener and most talented.
Music, activities and connection round out the event, which doubles as a fundraiser. Proceeds from the day’s raffle of donated items will be split among the Blue Mountain Humane Society, Spokane-based Dachshund Rescue Northwest and Portland Dachshund Rescue.
Garcia says she hopes the event will be the start of a tradition for years to come. No doubt it will be the start of some wonderful connections, she says.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re 100 or a 20-year-old with your first dog, the ice-breaker is the fact that you all have dachshunds.”
WHEN: Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
WHERE: The Selah, 3579 Clodius Road, Waitsburg