AKC Conformation · West Friendship, Maryland
Fall Fest Cluster 2026
October 9–11, 2026 — three all-breed shows in West Friendship, Maryland
Weekend at a glance
The Fall Fest Cluster brings three all-breed AKC conformation shows to West Friendship, Maryland, October 9–11, 2026 — the Catonsville Kennel Club hosts Friday and Saturday, and the National Capital Kennel Club hosts Sunday.
- Dates
- October 9–11, 2026
- Venue
- Howard County Fairgrounds
- Host club
- Catonsville Kennel Club, National Capital Kennel Club
- Format
- All-Breed
- Entries
- Entries close Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 12:00 noon Verified 2026
More about this show
Verified 2026 · Dates & club verified via premium
- Dates
- Friday through Sunday
- Venue
- 2210 Fairgrounds Rd., West Friendship, MD 21794
- Entries
- Entries close Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 12:00 noon (2026 premium)
- Entry fees (2026 premium)
- Catonsville (Fri & Sat): $38 first entry · $36 additional · $28 puppy & bred-by · $15 Junior Showmanship (Saturday) · $25 4–6 Month Puppy
National Capital (Sun): $36 first entry · $34 additional · $30 puppy · Junior Showmanship no fee · $20 4–6 Month Puppy · $36/$34 rally
Superintendent: MB-F
The days
Three all-breed shows over three days.
| Day | Show |
|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 9 | Catonsville Kennel Club — All-Breed |
| Sat, Oct 10 | Catonsville Kennel Club — All-Breed |
| Sun, Oct 11 | National Capital Kennel Club — All-Breed |
Breed judging panels are verified from the official 2026 premium list — see the breed finder below. Verified 2026
Today’s Ring Card
Your show-day schedule, saved by date.
Ring assignments and start times are in the judging programs above. We never guess ring times.
Breed judge finder
Search any breed to see which judge has it on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Panels are from the official 2026 Fall Fest Cluster premium list. Verified 2026
* = provisional/permit, per the premium.
Best in Show & Group judges — from the 2026 premium
Friday, October 9 — Catonsville Kennel Club
- Best in Show — Ms. Claire Wisch Abraham
- Sporting Group — Mr. John P. Wade
- Hound Group — Ms. Helene Nietsch
- Working Group — Mr. Rick Blanchard
- Terrier Group — Dr. Troy Clifford Dargin
- Toy Group — Ms. Marie Ann Falconer
- Non-Sporting Group — Mr. Gregg G. Kantak*
- Herding Group — Ms. Marie Ann Falconer
Saturday, October 10 — Catonsville Kennel Club
- Best in Show — Ms. Marie Ann Falconer
- Sporting Group — Ms. Claire Wisch Abraham
- Hound Group — Mr. John P. Wade
- Working Group — Ms. Helene Nietsch
- Terrier Group — Mr. Douglas A. Johnson*
- Toy Group — Dr. Troy Clifford Dargin
- Non-Sporting Group — Mr. John P. Wade
- Herding Group — Mr. Christopher T. Moore
Sunday, October 11 — National Capital Kennel Club
- Best in Show — Dr. Valeria Rickard
- Sporting Group — Ms. Helene Nietsch
- Hound Group — Mr. Douglas A. Johnson
- Working Group — Mrs. Abigail (Abby) S. Patrizio
- Terrier Group — Mr. Christopher T. Moore
- Toy Group — Mr. John P. Wade
- Non-Sporting Group — Ms. Marie Ann Falconer
- Herding Group — Ms. Bonnie L. Money*
*Provisional/permit judge. Breed-panel judge abbreviations were expanded to full names from the premium’s judge rosters. No classes are offered for Yorkshire Terriers or Old English Sheepdogs on Friday, per the premium. Verified 2026
Juniors
Junior Showmanship is offered Saturday and Sunday, verified from the 2026 premium — not offered Friday. Verified 2026
Fri Oct 9 — Catonsville Kennel Club
Junior Showmanship — not offered Friday, per the 2026 premium.
Sat Oct 10 — Catonsville Kennel Club
Junior Showmanship — judge: Mr. Douglas A. Johnson (from the 2026 premium); ring times in the judging program.
Sun Oct 11 — National Capital Kennel Club
Junior Showmanship — judge: Mrs. Abigail (Abby) S. Patrizio (from the 2026 premium); ring times in the judging program.
Junior Showmanship entry: $15.00 Saturday; no fee Sunday. Verified 2026
Specialties & supported entries
Concurrent specialties, verified from the 2026 Fall Fest premium (separate premium lists). Verified 2026
Fri Oct 9
- Mason Dixon Bernese Mountain Dog Club
- National Capital Area Great Pyrenees Club
- Mid-Atlantic Leonberger Club of Virginia
- Newfoundland Club of America, Inc.
- Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonkas Club of America
- Washington Poodle Club, Inc.
Sat Oct 10
- Potomac Valley Bernese Mountain Dog Club
- National Capital Area Great Pyrenees Club
- Mid-Atlantic Leonberger Club of Virginia
- Newfoundland Club of America, Inc.
- Washington Poodle Club, Inc.
Sun Oct 11
- Greater Washington Dalmatian Club
- Mid-Atlantic Leonberger Club of Virginia
- Newfoundland Club of America, Inc.
- Washington Poodle Club, Inc.
Plan your visit
Find the venue
Open in Google Maps · Official Howard County Fairgrounds map (PDF)
The venue
West Friendship, MD
West Friendship, MD
Dog-friendly lodging
- Residence Inn Columbia — 4950 Beaver Run, Ellicott City, MD. Call ahead to confirm pet policy.
- Staybridge Suites Columbia Baltimore — 8844 Columbia 100 Pkwy, Columbia, MD. Call ahead to confirm pet policy.
- DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Columbia — 5485 Twin Knolls Road, Columbia, MD 21045. Call ahead to confirm pet policy.
- Merriweather Lakehouse, Autograph Collection — 10209 Wincopin Cir, Columbia, MD. Call ahead to confirm pet policy.
Always confirm the pet policy when booking.
Flying in
- BWI — Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), about 20 miles / roughly 31 minutes away.
Restaurants
- Great Sage (dog-friendly; outdoor seating; Lunch, Dinner) — 5809 Clarksville Square Dr, Clarksville, MD 21029. Organic vegan comfort food with about a dozen patio tables that welcome leashed dogs.
- River Hill Grill (dog-friendly; outdoor seating; Lunch, Dinner) — 6040 Daybreak Cir, Clarksville, MD 21029. Neighborhood sports bar with crab cakes and burgers and a covered patio that welcomes leashed dogs.
- The White Oak Tavern (dog-friendly; outdoor seating; Lunch, Dinner) — 10030 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21042. Farm-to-table gastropub and beer garden with a dog-friendly patio and a special dog menu.
Attractions
- B&O Ellicott City Station Museum — 3711 Maryland Ave, Ellicott City, MD 21043. The nation's oldest surviving railroad station, now a free museum.
- Historic Ellicott City Main Street — Main Street, Ellicott City, MD. Historic mill town with 19th-century shops and eateries.
Venue guide — shared by every show at this location. Last verified 2026-09-25. Per-show details for this weekend (RV, admission, grooming) will be added here when confirmed.
The venue
The shows are held at the Howard County Fairgrounds, 2210 Fairgrounds Rd., West Friendship, MD 21794 (confirmed in the 2026 premium list).
Hotels from the 2026 premium
Pet-friendly hotels
- Turf Valley Resort — 2700 Turf Valley Rd., Ellicott City, MD (410) 465-1500
- Red Roof Inn Washington, DC — 8000 Washington Blvd., Jessup, MD (410) 690-3238
- LaQuinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham — 7300 Crestmount Rd., Jessup, MD (410) 799-1500
- Country Inn & Suites by Radisson — 1717 W. Nursery Rd., Linthicum Heights, MD (410) 981-9997
- Red Roof Inn PLUS+ Baltimore — 827 Elkridge Landing Rd., Linthicum Heights, MD (667) 401-4667
- Clarion Inn — 5400 Holiday Dr., Frederick, MD (240) 439-8932
- Holiday Inn Baltimore — 815 Elkridge Landing Rd., Linthicum Heights, MD (410) 691-1000 (pet fee; ~30 min to show site)
- Red Roof Inn — 7306 Parkway Dr. S., Hanover, MD 21076 (410) 690-3163 (15 miles)
- Red Roof Inn — 12525 Laurel Bowie Rd., Laurel, MD 20708 (301) 498-8811 (18 miles)
- La Quinta Inn BWI — 1734 W. Nursery Rd., Linthicum Heights, MD 21090 (410) 859-2333
Some restrictions may apply; dogs should not be left in rooms unsupervised. Always confirm the pet policy when booking. Verified 2026
Documents
Official documents for this weekend. Verified 2026
- 2026 premium list (PDF) Official
- Judging program (PDF) — Catonsville Kennel Club, Friday Oct 9, 2026 (InfoDog) Verified 2026
- Judging program (PDF) — Catonsville Kennel Club 4–6 month puppy, Friday Oct 9, 2026 (InfoDog) Verified 2026
- Judging program (PDF) — Catonsville Kennel Club, Saturday Oct 10, 2026 — all-breed + Junior Showmanship (InfoDog) Verified 2026
- Judging program (PDF) — Catonsville Kennel Club 4–6 month puppy, Saturday Oct 10, 2026 (InfoDog) Verified 2026
Sources
- OfficialAKC event listings — Fall Fest Cluster
- OfficialFall Fest Cluster 2025 judging program (venue reference only)
- Official2026 premium list (PDF) (Fall Fest Cluster — Catonsville Kennel Club & National Capital Kennel Club, Howard County Fairgrounds)