Music-loving pups and their owners have a new summer tradition in Coffee County, as Barkaroo made its debut in June 2026. Created by Manchester resident Sarah Dubler, Barkaroo is a dog-friendly outdoor music festival held at Beans Creek Winery the weekend before Bonnaroo. This event raises funds to support the shelter and its dogs, as well as community awareness of Coffee County Animal Control, which operates with a small staff of four and takes in 80 to 100 dogs every month with limited funding. What Dubler hoped would raise $5,000 to $8,000 ended up bringing in $17,000 from an estimated 400 to 500 attendees, making it the largest crowd Beans Creek Winery had ever hosted.

“We at Beans Creek Winery love animals and great charities,” Tim Miles, general manager of Beans Creek Winery, said. “We loved seeing all of the people bringing their pets to support this amazing organization. It was a great day for Beans Creek Winery as well. We were able to expose people to what we do at the winery and show them a little about what animal control faces daily. This was one of our most successful and well-attended events of the year.”
The festival featured four live musical acts, vendors, adoptable shelter dogs, a create-your-own pup cup station, a friendship bracelet station, and a photo booth. An MC announced hourly door prizes, and a silent auction featured fabulous donated items up for bid. Barkaroo was completely planned and executed by volunteers, and the Bonnaroo-inspired psychedelic theme carried throughout the decor.

“I would have been happy to raise $5,000,” Dubler said. “And we did $17,000.” Those funds go directly toward the medical care, daily needs, and second chances for Coffee County Animal Control’s shelter pups.
The success of the first Barkaroo has already sparked plans for a second. Barkaroo 2027 is set for June 5 from 4–7 p.m., again at Beans Creek Winery. The Barkaroo 2027 Facebook event page is already live, created in part as a nod to Bonnaroo 2027’s cancellation. Friends of Coffee County Animal Control on Facebook is the place to follow for shelter needs and updates year-round.

“It wasn’t just me. I came up with the idea, but you can’t do something like that by yourself. You need a great team, and the community showed up,” Dubler said. GN









































































































































































































































































































































































































































































