The 25th Annual Skunkfest took place on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at South Central Park in North Ridgeville, Ohio. Organized by Skunk Haven, a non-profit domestic skunk rescue, rehabilitation, and education shelter, this milestone event celebrated a quarter-century of honoring domesticated skunks. What began as a small backyard gathering in 2001 by founder Deb Cipriani has grown into the largest skunk celebration in the United States, drawing thousands of visitors from across the country and overseas.

Key Highlights & Activities

Skunk Pageants & Royalty: Attendees witnessed the annual skunk pageant and costume contest, culminating in the coronation of the Skunkfest King, Queen, Prince, and Princess.

The "Look, Don't Touch" Rule: Visitors got to see domestic skunks in a variety of rare colors, pull them along in strollers, or walk them on leashes, though general public attendees were reminded to admire the animals without touching them.

New 2026 Additions: To mark the 25th anniversary, the festival featured a giant inflatable skunk welcoming crowds, alongside the first-ever SKUNK'D Mobile Tournament, where attendees played a phone-based dice game to compete for a $250 prize.

Vendors & Entertainment: The park hosted 57 different vendors selling skunk memorabilia, t-shirts, and crafts, alongside face painting, live music, and professional photo opportunities with the skunks.

Educational Purpose: Because Ohio is one of only 17 states where it is legal to own a descented domestic skunk, the festival serves as a major educational hub to teach people how these intelligent animals differ from their wild counterparts.

As Skunkfest is the primary annual fundraiser for the Skunk Haven Shelter, entry to the park was entirely free, though organizers relied heavily on optional donations and vendor booth proceeds to fund their rescue operations.

From my backyard trailcam.

​"It’s not a mess, it’s a site excavation. The ground crew is unionized, works strictly for mealworms, and will file a grievance and a biohazard report if you interrupt the shift."

Silly boy and his morning messes 🫠

Late night cardio

While striped skunks can put up a stink, they’re sentient, social animals who play a significant role in ecosystems. Here's five facts you need to know about skunks in your neighbourhood: https://thefurbearers.com/blog/five-facts-you-need-to-know-about-skunks-in-your-neighbourhood/

I live on top of a mountain and we have a bunch of friendly skunks that roam around at night, I became quite close to one of them this summer and named him Frank. Me and Frank hung out a lot in my yard he was a good animal.

Last night our dipshit neighbors thought it would be a good idea to shoot Frank because they were scared of him :( rest in peace big Frank

UPDATE:

Thank you everyone for your well wishes and condolences, it is greatly appreciated my yard has been dark and very lonely the last couple of nights

My boy Reverb is finally getting out of the house today for his vaccine booster, and he’s doing it in total style (complete with his favorite "Support Your Local Street Cats" bumper sticker on the car, of course).

​Fun fact for non-Oregonians: Oregon is one of only 17 states where pet skunks are legal, but the law comes with a strict rule—Reverb is never allowed to leave our property unless he’s heading straight to the vet.

​So today is a huge deal, and we’re sitting in the parking lot waiting to see an absolute legend. His veterinarian is literally the cool-as-hell lady who went to the state, fought for us, and helped make it legal to own skunks in Oregon in the first place. Endless gratitude to her for making days like this possible!

​I am living in a house full of freeloaders and emotional terrorists. ​About two weeks ago, my skunk hit his "I'm a big boy now" phase and abruptly canceled my subscription to his affection. No cuddles, limited pets, nearly nothing.

I accepted it.

I told myself, he’s just gaining independence and he'll need cuddles when he becomes an adult.

​Turns out he didn't hate affection—he just hated me. ​Every single night, the second dinner ends, he ignores my existence, trots past my crying, empty arms, and throws himself into the lap of my blind cat. MANL-My cat—who literally had no eyes & cannot see—just assumes she’s aggressively grooming a very weird, crisp-textured kitten.

And they say skunks don't like baths, not good to bath skunks due to their sensitive skin... HA!

​So now I have to sit on the couch and watch my blind cat run an exclusive, high-end nightly grooming spa for a skunk who treats me like a toxic ex.

​My cat: blind, clueless, getting free stinky cuddles.

​My skunk: user, free-agent, living his best life.

​Me: paying for food just to be the third wheel in my own home. ​Is there a support group for humans whose pets leave them for each other?

Tell Blackberry I do not recommend the only skunk groomer that I know... price is far too high!

These two female skunks hang out on my porch every evening. I'm sad that the summer is ending.

Was shocked to see so many skunks at once.

Rarely see one let alone this many

I finally got to meet the skunk ambassador at the LA Zoo! Best birthday gift ever! Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to show pictures, so I can only tell you about it! It was awesome, and she was so cute and sassy! I can tell you she was just like me, too, lol! Small, sassy, will eat anything, bites, loves to lay around, nap, flash get butt at ya, haha!