Dogs leapt off a 40-foot dock into a splash pool, owners crafted treat toys at a lick mat open bar, and at least one pet got a reading from an animal communicator as Fromm Family Pet Food staged its latest Petfest pop-up on Saturday at Foxtown Station in Mequon. The event ran from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Mequon event, covered by FOX6 News Milwaukee, featured activities for dogs and families throughout the venue, including a dock diving station that let dogs run down the dock, jump into the pool, and retrieve a favorite toy. FOX6 reported that the diving activity was open to dogs who are not professional competitors, giving casual pups a chance to test the waters and build confidence rather than compete against seasoned athletes. Dock diving try-its ran from 10 a.m. to noon, with the full competition following from noon to 5 p.m.
Fromm nutrition doctor Danielle Opetz, speaking with the outlet, said watching dogs and owners engage with each other made her happy, adding that seeing pet parents come together was rewarding. Beyond the dock diving and craft station, the pop-up included live pet readings, giving attendees another way to bond with their animals outside the splash zone.
Why Fromm Left the Lakefront Behind
The Mequon gathering looks nothing like the Petfest Wisconsinites got used to for more than a decade. From 2014 through 2024, Fromm Petfest was held annually at Henry Maier Festival Park as what organizers called Wisconsin's largest free pet festival, according to Milwaukee World Festival Inc., before organizers announced in January 2025 that the massive event would pause in favor of pop-ups and new regional dog district developments. The original lakefront festival ran for 11 consecutive years at the Summerfest grounds before that hiatus began.
The MKE Downtown Dog Park measures 21,600 square feet and sits beneath Interstate 794. The park transformed an underutilized site beneath I-794. Urban Milwaukee reported roughly 25,000 pet visits in its first year.
A Bigger Bet on Riverfront Real Estate
Adjacent to the downtown dog park, Fromm CEO Tom Nieman is developing Foxtown Landing, a 28,000-square-foot, three-story brewpub, restaurant and event venue.
Back in Mequon, Saturday's host venue carries its own layered history. Foxtown Station is an 18,000-square-foot event space created through a historic renovation of a 1900s icehouse and 1950s metal storage structures, according to Stephen Perry Smith Architects. The icehouse originally stored ice blocks harvested from the Milwaukee River, a detail that ties the venue directly to the waterway Fromm's downtown projects now sit alongside.
Sponsors
Saturday's pop-up drew outside sponsors too. Tito's Handmade Vodka backed the Pier Pups dock diving activity and ran a Bloody Mary bar that donated $1 from every drink sold to Lucky Mutt's Pet Rescue, according to VISIT Milwaukee. The animal communicator sessions were led by Lisa Brown of Best Day Healing and ran from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Foxtown Station is linked with Foxtown Brewery and Foxtown Heritage Meats. Between the Mequon pop-up, the downtown dog park and the coming Foxtown Landing, Fromm's Petfest brand looks less like a single weekend event and more like the connective tissue of a regional hospitality push spanning two counties.
