For the 28th year, people in Trussville came together this weekend for The Dog Daze of August.  In years past, festival has brought in anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 for the chamber of commerce.

 "We have about 125 booth vendors today ," said Trussville Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Diane Poole.

The festival certainly lives up to its name with dogs prancing around everywhere.  But it's more  than just a dog walk in the park.  It is a chance for local business owners to expand their reach.

 "You can have a little fun with your clients and hopefully bring some other people in as well," said salon owner Lisa Brenner.

"This definitely costs a lot less than running an ad on a regular basis," said chiropractor Channing King.  "And you get to get yourself in front of a lot of people that are coming by.  Even if they don't stop at your booth, you still get the exposure of people in the community seeing your name."

In this tough economy, business owners say it takes more to get people's attention.  Now, it's important to capitalize on every opportunity for exposure.

"You have to really get out and promote what you do," said King.

"I think it's invaluable to them because they need any kind of advantage or opportunity they can get and this is kind of a captive audience," Poole said.

The festival financially benefits the city, too.  The chamber takes the money it makes and reinvests it in the city, supporting growth and development in Trussville.
 
"We're here to support the businesses in area," Poole said.

She says they will not know for a few days how much this year's festival made.

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