Philly Goat Project’s GOAToberFest Returns With Goat Photo Ops, Fire Pits With S’mores, Costume Contest and More

Philly Goat Project’s GOAToberFest Returns With Goat Photo Ops, Fire Pits With S’mores, Costume Contest and More

Philly Goat Project will host its fifth annual GOAToberFest fundraiser on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Laurel Hill West Conservatory, located at 215 Belmont Avenue in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.

Philly Goat Project is a Philadelphia nonprofit that provides education, therapy, job training, wellness and community engagement programming in partnership with goats. Proceeds from GOAToberFest support the organization’s programming, including early literacy, environmental education, animal-assisted therapy, community wellness, teen job skills training and bereavement support initiatives.

Comedic drag queen Dominique Lee will return as emcee for this year’s event.

Guests will spend the afternoon with Philly Goat Project’s goats while taking part in lawn games, a goat photo booth, a goat art raffle, s’mores around the fire pits, a historic tour of Laurel Hill, and a costume contest. Costumes are encouraged, with both Oktoberfest- and Halloween-themed outfits welcome, and prizes will be awarded for top costumes.

GOAToberFest attendees will be the first to see and purchase Philly Goat Project’s 2027 Goat Calendar. This year’s edition celebrates women artists, featuring goats photographed by longtime supporter and Philadelphia photographer Jessica Kourkounis in front of original backdrops created by 12 local female artists.

This year’s featured GOAToberFest goat is Violet, named after Violet Oakley, a pioneering Philadelphia muralist and the first woman in the United States to receive a major public mural commission. The tribute ties into this year’s broader artistic theme, with local muralist Symone Salib designing both the commemorative Triple Bottom Brewing beer can and an exclusive T-shirt featuring Violet, alongside the 2027 calendar’s celebration of local women artists.

Philly Goat Project is once again partnering with Triple Bottom Brewing, a woman-owned craft brewery and Certified B Corp that provides fair-chance, long-term, living-wage employment for people who have experienced homelessness or incarceration. Triple Bottom will offer a commemorative can of its Oktoberfest-style Crunch beer, featuring artwork by Salib, included with event admission. Four-packs of the beer will also be available for purchase, with 50% of proceeds benefiting Philly Goat Project.

As in previous years, the bar at GOAToberFest will be staffed by apprentices from Triple Bottom Brewing’s Future of Service Apprenticeship Program, a paid, 16-week training program for individuals impacted by the justice system or housing insecurity, designed to help participants develop job and life skills for Philadelphia’s hospitality industry.

GOAToberFest is supported by Philly Goat Project’s community partner Laurel Hill, with the two organizations working together to create programming around community and sustainability.

Tickets are $85 each and are available at phillygoatproject.org/goatoberfest. The event will take place rain or shine and is open to guests ages 14 and older.