Animal guardians take dogs to parties, in Campina Grande, during São João Maria Eloisy/Personal Archive Walking dogs through Parque do Povo during São João has already become a frequent activity for a group of owners in Campina Grande, in Agreste da Paraíba. The initiative brings together pet lovers who take advantage of the festive atmosphere to walk with the animals around the main stage of the city's June festivities. The group, called "Aumigos Campina Grande", was created by Maria Eloisy, owner of Odin, a Siberian husky, and has attracted the attention of visitors, who often stop to photograph the dogs. ✅ Click here to follow the g1 PB channel on WhatsApp The project emerged in June 2025, during the June period, and, a year later, it already has around 40 members. Like Maria Eloisy, participants usually take their pets for walks in Parque do Povo and Parque Evaldo Cruz. In addition to promoting socialization between owners, the initiative seeks to encourage coexistence between animals and encourage activities that contribute to the well-being and health of dogs. "So we created the group with the aim of organizing ourselves and taking long walks with CG's pets. Our concentration is always in the Valdo Cruz park and the dog group has grown since then. Now we have more or less 45 members", he explained. According to Maria Eloisy, group meetings and walks help dogs gradually get used to busy environments. With this preparation, animals tend to be calmer in places with a large movement of people and loud noise, such as June festivities. She highlights that all activities are planned with a focus on the well-being and safety of pets. "About the meeting, when there is more than one event there at Evaldo Cruz, we always gather there at Espaço Pet and they become more familiar with each other there in their own space. So with the noise of festivities at this time of São João, we don't have much friction", he said. Odin's owner also says that not all members of the group take their dogs to São João, so it depends on the animals' personality. The dog she takes care of is, according to her, more sociable and, therefore, she is able to take him. Last year, she took photos and videos of him at Parque do Povo. "About the walks, actually, taking place in Parque do Povo, not everyone takes them. I'm Odin's guardian. Odin is very sociable, he never gets stressed around people. Very friendly. I take him, I even took him last year and they took several photos of him. But not all the pets, especially due to the anxiety of many people there", he highlighted. Before heading to Parque do Povo, the group usually meets at Parque Evaldo Cruz for a moment of preparation. According to Maria Eloisy, during this period the dogs receive water and food, while the owners take the opportunity to take a break, eat and organize the last care before participating in the party with the animals. "Regarding the maintenance of the space we use there at Evaldo Cruz, we always do the basics that work. We organize ourselves with the pets' hydration and food, especially because when we have meetings we always manage to make a snack for ourselves and organize their hydration, water and food too", he said. Tutors gather at Parque Evaldo Cruz, before the festivities, in Campina Grande Maria Eloisy/Personal Archive Tourists ask the group for a photo During walks through Parque do Povo, dogs often attract the attention of residents and tourists. According to Maria, it is common for visitors to approach owners to ask for photos with the animals, especially because they consider the presence of pets amidst São João's programming to be unusual. "It's very interesting to see tourists or people from the city, how they interact with animals. Whenever they see it, it's something that catches their attention, several feet together playing, a real community. They always ask to take a photo, to see if it is a community, to be part of it. And so the group is also growing due to the events that we promote and people are starting to become interested", he said. For Maria, the initiative goes beyond tours during the June period. The owner states that the project provides satisfaction by contributing to the socialization of animals and strengthening bonds between participants. According to her, the meetings function as a moment of leisure and relaxation, benefiting both the dogs and the owners themselves. "It's a great pleasure to hold and promote meetings. It's always very dynamic, people talk to us, have a snack with us, while their feet play, it's very dynamic. While they release their anxiety and stress at home with the others, we talk", he highlighted. Now on g1 São João 2026 in Campina Grande Solange Almeida at São João 2026 in Campina Grande Erickson Nogueira/g1 São João de Campina Grande received the title of the biggest June festival in the country, granted by the Ranking Brasil Institute in July 2022. For the institute, the party's numbers are impressive, which consolidated it as the biggest in the country. The party began on June 4, 1983 in an improvised way in a hut set up in the area, where Parque do Povo is today, so that people could dance forró. Within five years, the festival was already included in Brazil's tourist calendar. With the success of the party in the first three years, in 1986 the city council began building Parque do Povo, the place where the party continues to take place. Five years after its creation, São João de Campina Grande was already a party of great proportions due to its name and duration. Therefore, in 1987 the “Biggest São João in the World” was included in the official calendar of the Brazilian Tourism Institute. In the penultimate edition of the party, in 2024, more than 2.93 million people passed through Parque do Povo during the event. Of the number, more than 80 thousand were tourists, and around 245 thousand day-trippers who traveled to see the festival. The expectation is that the total audience for São João 2025 in Campina Grande will exceed 3 million people. Most watched videos from g1 Paraíba