Celebrate the spirit of summer, our community, and the dogs who make it all a little brighter by entering your pup in the 2026 North Carolina Fourth of July Festival Dog Grand Marshal Contest. This is more than a contest—it’s a chance to spotlight the joy, loyalty, and personality your dog brings to your life while supporting a cherished local tradition.
For just $5, you can submit your dog’s photo and story, sharing their favorite summertime moments with the community, from beach days to backyard gatherings. Friends, family, and neighbors can submit votes for your dog for $1 each, helping raise funds that keep the festival thriving.
The dog who captures the most hearts—and votes—will be included in the parade as the canine Grand Marshal! Enter your dog today and encourage your friends and family to vote.
Prizes
1st place :
A prize package that includes being awarded the title of “Dog Grand Marshall for the 2026 NC Fourth of July Festival Parade”, a ride along for the dog and its owners in a vehicle on the parade route, a custom pet portrait by a local artist and other prizes donated by local businesses
2nd place:
A package that includes prizes donated by local businesses
3rd place:
A package that includes prizes donated by local businesses
Note:
Should the 1st place winner decline participation in the parade, the 2nd and 3rd place winners will be given the opportunity in turn to take the place of the 1st place winner in the parade.
Rules
2026 NC Fourth of July Festival Parade Dog Grand Marshall Rules
About the contest:
The NC Fourth of July Festival is running a fundraiser in the form of a contest to vote for the Dog Grand Marshall for the 2026 NC Fourth of July Festival Parade. Pet owners will submit an original photo of their dog, the dog’s name, owner's name(s) and a short paragraph about their dog. People will cast votes for their favorite dog with the dog that gets the most votes being elected the winner.
- Participants will pay an entry fee of $5 to submit a candidate. The entry fee is counted as 5 votes for the candidate they submit.
- Voting requires a minimum donation of $1 where $1 equals 1 vote.
All proceeds collected, minus administrative costs associated with running the contest, will be donated to the NC Fourth of July Festival.
Candidate submissions and associated voting is open from 6:00 AM (Eastern Time) on Friday, May 8, 2026 until 6:00 PM (Eastern Time) on Sunday, June 21, 2026. Once the voting has closed, the dog with the most votes (the top fundraiser) wins the contest and the title of Dog Grand Marshall for the 2026 NC Fourth of July Festival Parade! The winning dog will be awarded the opportunity to be featured as a parade participant along with receiving other prizes. The 2nd and 3rd place fundraisers will also be eligible to receive prizes.
Submitting a candidate:
There are no limits on the number of dogs that a single participant may submit for the contest, however, an individual dog may only have one submission. Duplicate submissions for the same dog will be removed. Votes for the duplicate submission cannot be combined with any other submission. The submission fee and any voting for a removed duplicate entry cannot be refunded.
Voting:
There is no limit on the number of times a person may vote in the contest. All votes can be cast for a single dog or for multiple dogs. Those submitting a dog to the contest may also vote on their own candidate or any other candidate as many times as they want. Each vote requires a $1 donation.
Winning:
The candidate with the most votes (highest fundraising total) will be the 1st place winner of the contest. The candidate with the second highest total and the 3rd highest total will be the 2nd and 3rd place winners respectively. In the event of a tie, the contest managers will draw a name or names from a hat to resolve the tie.
Photo submissions:
Photos submitted must meet the following requirements and rules to be eligible for participation in the Contest:
- Photos must include only one dog and no other animals or humans.
- The dog should be the principal subject in the photo.
- Photos should be of high quality with a resolution of at least 150 dpi, with a minimum of 300 dpi preferred.
- Entrants represent and warrant that their photos are original and that they own all the rights, including copyright and other intellectual property rights, in the photos they provide.
- Entrants represent and warrant that photos they submit do not infringe upon or violate any third party rights.
- Entrants may not use AI technologies to generate submitted images.
- The animal cannot appear in distress, in any inappropriate or offensive setting/context, or engaged in any inappropriate or offensive activities.
- Ensure that the photo is sharp and in focus with a clean background, with no third-party products, artwork, logos, names, photographs, or advertising displayed.
- If contest managers deem it necessary to remove participant photos for quality issues, participants will have the opportunity to submit a new photo. However, refunds cannot be processed for either the submission fee and/or voting fees if the participant chooses not to submit a new photo and continue with the contest.
- Contest managers will not be held liable for any disruption in voting that may be caused while a participant photo is unavailable.
- The contest managers reserve the right to disqualify any entry based on objectionable, inappropriate, offensive or prohibited content. Disqualified entries are not eligible for a refund of their entry fee or voting fees submitted in support of the disqualified entry.
Photo Files Accepted: .JPG and .PNG
Copyright Information:
All photos must be original and free from copyright. Submitted photos become the property of the NC Fourth of July Festival who are free to copy, distribute, display, disseminate, or otherwise reproduce without the owner's express permission.
Disclaimer:
Votes (Donations) can only be cast using the GoGo platform. No means for offline voting will be supported. The Committee is unable to process refunds for any submission fees or voting donations.
For decades, the NC Fourth of July Festival has been a cherished tradition in Southport and Oak Island, drawing thousands of residents and visitors from across North Carolina and beyond. The festival celebrates our nation’s independence while showcasing the unique charm, history, and hospitality of Brunswick County. Events such as the parade, live music performances, and fireworks display not only provide meaningful community experiences, but also generate significant economic impact for local businesses, including accommodations, restaurants, and retail establishments.
🌐 www.nc4thofjuly.com