Fred Levin Way Fest

Crowds lined the streets of historic downtown Pensacola on April 16 to take advantage of free essential items, as well as educational material donated by over 70 non-pro t organizations at the Fred Levin Fest. The theme was “Celebration of Giving” and it was truly just that.

This festival is held once a year and is intended to provide help to families and individuals in need. It’s a beautiful way for the community to come together and honor the legacy of Fred Levin and his desire to help children in need in Northwest Florida.

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Mounted Unit were among those in attendance, showcasing their beautiful horses and were certainly a crowd favorite. There was no shortage of fun with the endless number of activities provided for everyone of all ages. Bounce houses, music, face painting, and even the Warrington Middle School marching band was on hand to provide entertainment. Food trucks cranked out thousands of delicious meals and the spirit of giving owed freely in the streets, ensuring that everyone left with not only bellies full, but hearts as well.

article by Anna McGauley Stockton

Author Jonathan Swift is quoted as saying, “every dog must have his day” and for WolfGang LLC Owners and Founders Jessica and Kim Wolford, they want all dogs to have their day one event at a time As lorida s first official dog event planning company, the couple creates and organizes events that are all about the pups They work with local dog friendly businesses to create fun events where the dogs are the guests of honor. And while WolfGang LLC always brings the fun, they also have a philanthropic side They ork ith nonprofits to help create events to raise money for their organization, such as the annual Pensacola Pawdi Gras event in do nto n Pensacola, hich benefited the Escambia County Department of Animal Welfare this year.

So ho did this uni ue company come about Owners and founders Jessica and Kim Wolford, who have been married for eight years, both came from the corporate orld and al ays had a desire to start a business that was centered around their love for dogs. They en oyed bringing their dogs ith them hen they ent places, but they realized that hen they did that, there wasn’t much for their dogs to do other than sit on a leash and be ith them The couple anted to create something that highlighted people ho love to bring their dogs to local dog loving businesses but make it all about the dogs. Once the idea for their new dog event planning business as put into place, the name came naturally The name WolfGang comes from their last name of Wolford and their “gang” of dogs They kne they anted to make their logo personal to them and their family, so they used an actual drawing representing their dogs’ ears. Kira Doumas, a friend of the new business owners, asked them to send her headshots of their dogs to create the logo. The logo, in order from biggest to smallest is Hugh, Marie, Mama, and the late Oreo (who passed in October of 2022 at 17 years old). The newest addition to their family, Victor, was adopted about 2 weeks after they started the business and is not represented in the original logo.

Bringing dog centered activities to the area is exactly what WolfGang has succeeded in doing. They’ve hosted holiday events such as St. Pawtrick’s Day pup crawls, Santa Paws, Pupsgiving, Howl-a-ween events, doggy Easter egg hunts, and many more. They do a Pups for Pride event in June to help support the LGBTQ community. Other events they host include paw painting events, sip and shop markets, DIY bandana and dog treat events, and socials for people and pups. WolfGang also is available to plan private barkday pawties, where they offer a variety of packages. They also do private corporate events, working with businesses to create and organize an event for their employees and their dogs. They are expanding their dog event planning business this year by adding new events like themed pup crawls, history walking tours, hiking and trail walks, beach socials, and are even working on a brick-and-mortar location.

Jessica and Kim Wolford take pride in the business they have built and are excited about new ideas and expanding their business. They feel WolfGang is a special company because they truly love dogs. They remember dog’s names, special things about them, and care about those who attend their events. They also care about the community and bringing dog lovers together. They work hard to help support local dog shelters and rescues by raising money and supplies for them, as well as having adoptable dogs attend their events in hopes of finding a forever home They are a uni ue business, the first of its kind, and the couple is truly doing what they love and are surrounded by things they love. While they recognize that owning a business is hard and it takes a lot of work and dedication, they know when they show up to an event and see the smiling faces and wagging tails, it shows them their hard work has paid off. And of course, the slobbery doggy kisses don’t hurt either.