Pooches ready to strut their stuff in Central Square

LYNN ? It’s the dog days of summer in Central Square?literally!Every dog will have its day at the 3rd annual Dog Days of Summer Pageant, which is sponsored by the Daily Item, on Thursday, Aug. 21 from 5-8 p.m. in Central Square.Pet Express is providing goodie bags for the first 200 dogs and all dogs will get a special treat. Registration for The Parade of Dogs, which is the highlight of the event, will get under way at 6 p.m. There will be prizes for the biggest dog, smallest dog, cutest dog, ugliest dog and the dog that looks most like its owner. The grand prize winner will receive a year supply of pet food courtesy of Pet Express and of course the ugliest dog will receive a dog spa makeover. Prospective participants can register in advance online at www.dogdaysparade.com. For those who wish to register the day of the event, registration will begin at 5 p.m. near the clock in Central Square.Tara Cleary, the Item’s director of advertising and new media, said approximately 100 canines and 500 people participated in last years event.Although canines are guaranteed to be the mainstay of the event, there are activities designed to appeal to everyone not just canine aficionados.Be sure to stop by the galleries at LynnArts to peruse the annual Juried Painting Show and create a doggy bandanna for your furry friend while you’re there. Listen to live music by the Springhill Rounders- a Boston based Bluegrass trio.Raw Arts Works, a nonprofit youth arts organization that was founded in 1988, will be on hand to allow families to unleash their creativity. For more than a decade Raw Art Works, which is based in Lynn, has taken art into the streets, public housing, youth incarceration facilities, soup kitchens and schools. Visitors to Raw Art Works will have the opportunity to make their own “Paw Prints” bookmark. The Lynn Farmers Market will remain open late that evening and the Lynn Museum, which waives its admission fee on Third Thursday’s, will be open to the public.