ENCINITAS -- Hundreds of people and their four-legged friends enjoyed a day of sun, fun and a seemingly endless supply of doggie treats at the Dog Days of Summer festival Saturday in Encinitas.

The free festival, presented by the Cardiff 101 Chamber of Commerce and the Rancho Coastal Humane Society, was held in the parking lot of Headline Graphics on Aberdeen Drive in the Cardiff community and featured contests, vendors, and a silent auction.

Throughout the parking lot, dogs and their owners perused the booths of more than 20 vendors, who offered every dog-related product imaginable, including leashes and collars, clothes, grooming products and even dog ice cream. Most vendors set out large bowls of water in front of their booths and had plenty of dog biscuits on hand for their canine customers. Nonprofits, animal hospitals, dog trainers and other animal-friendly organizations also had informational booths, and the Rancho Coastal Humane Society had several dogs available for adoption.

Susan McBride's Animal House Pet Care booth was a popular stop, as evidenced by the dozens of dogs sporting the multicolored plastic leis she was giving out.

McBride, an event committee member, said she was drawn to participate in the festival because it benefits the Rancho Coastal Humane Society.

"The event is great," said McBride. "I'm really happy that it's such a great turnout for the first event.

Nearby, several tables were set up featuring silent auction items. All were donated by the community and ranged from dog-centric items such as designer dog beds and exams at local animal hospitals to baskets full of spa products, wine-tasting opportunities and gift certificates to local restaurants. The auction benefited both the Cardiff 101 Chamber of Commerce and the Rancho Coastal Humane Society.

"All the local businesses were really great about supporting us," said event committee member Debbie Mitchell.

By far, the most popular attraction were the dog contests, which were held throughout the day and included categories such as "Best Dog Trick," "Stinkiest Breath" and "Longest and Shortest Tail."

"We decided to do very unique contests," said contest coordinator Allison Navarette.

The top three winners in each category received small plastic trophies and gift bags filled with dog toys, accessories and, of course, doggie treats.

"No one is a loser," said Navarette.

A humongous 5-year-old black and white Great Dane named Tucker and his family members, all of whom were dressed in black and white, won the "Dog and Owner Look Alike" contest.

"We just thought it would be fun to dress up like the dog," said Tracey Lee, who was in town from San Francisco visiting Tucker's owners, her niece and nephew.

Lee and her mother, Rosemary Brown, said they were enjoying the festival.

"It's fun," said Brown. "There are a lot of wonderful dogs."

Tucker also easily won the "Biggest Dog" contest, while a minuscule 11-month-old brown and white toy Chihuahua named Coco won the "Smallest Dog" contest.

"She's barely 3 pounds" said Coco's owner, Felix Cano, who drove down from Oceanside to attend the festival with his wife and children.

Cano said he and his family came mainly to buy clothes for Coco, who was wearing a tiny pink and magenta T-shirt they had just purchased from one of the vendors.

"She's on a little shopping excursion," said Cano. "We're trying to get her to meet other dogs, too."

Also decked out in their finest attire were the winners of the "Best Dressed Dog" contest: Thumper, a 5-year-old Chihuahua dressed in a white and gold toga and headpiece, and Nike, a 12-year-old long coat Chihuahua wearing a black leather gladiator costume and a silver helmet adorned with blue, red and yellow feathers. Nike sat obediently in a small golden chariot while Thumper pulled him around, much to the delight of the crowd.

Thumper and Nike's owners, Linda and Ron Bloom of Escondido, dubbed the costume, which Linda made herself, "Ben Fur." Linda Bloom said the dogs have about 30 different sets of costumes.

"We've got some for every holiday," said Ron Bloom, who said some of the dogs' costumes include Santa Claus and Uncle Sam outfits.

"We bring them anywhere there's a dog contest with costumes," said Linda Bloom. "It sure makes people smile."

The Blooms said the festival was well worth the trip from Escondido.

Event co-chair Teresa Barth said she got the idea for the festival after reading about a similar event in Texas.

"I thought it would be perfect for Cardiff because we have so many dog owners and dog lovers," said Barth.

Barth said county Supervisor Pam Slater-Price provided the initial funding for the festival.

"She's a big animal lover and a friend of Cardiff," Barth said.

Barth said she expected about 500 people to attend the inaugural event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"We're very pleased with the turnout," she said. "It's a great family gathering. It's what Cardiff is all about."