For the first time, the Humane Society of Forsyth County will hold its largest fundraiser of the year at a venue inside the county.

The seventh annual Bark & Boogie Ball will take place Oct. 22 at the Forsyth Conference Center at Lanier Technical College.

Event organizers booked the venue more than a year in advance, before the 14,000-square-foot facility had even opened, co-chair Debbie Booth said.

“It’s nice that we can actually have our event in our own county,” Booth said. “I think we’re actually drawing a larger audience.”

Prior to the center’s opening, Booth said no venues in the county were large enough to hold the event. The society then held the formal fundraiser at sites along Windward Parkway in Alpharetta.

The new location is expected to boost ticket sales, she said. Organizers expect more than 450 to sell.

“This is going to be the biggest Bark & Boogie we’ve ever had,” Booth said. “We’ve sold a lot of tickets already.”

The six-hour event features live music, a gourmet dinner, an open bar and more.

Two bands will perform at the event, with Big Band Atlanta providing dinner music and Band X playing dance music.

A gourmet dinner will be served by Chef Kern, including an entertaining dessert surprise, Booth said.

More than $110,000 worth of goods, services and trips will be available in both silent and live auctions during the event, she said.

Some of the trips include two tickets to the Grammys, an all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica, mountain cabins and beach vacations.

Fine art, jewelry, home décor and pet items also will be up for auction, Booth said.

The funds raised will go toward a number of Humane Society functions, including spay/neuter, emergency medical care, the pet food pantry, Humane Hearts therapy program and more.

“We’re not funded by any government agency,” Booth said, “and so we depend on private donors, businesses and individuals and fundraising to raise the money in order to rescue the animals.”

The nonprofit has set a goal of $100,000, which would be the most money ever taken in from a Bark & Boogie Ball.

“I think we’re going to make it,” Booth said. “We’ve got a lot of nice things going on that evening, and I think we’ll come through.”

She also extended thanks to the many volunteers who keep the society going and the ball running.

“We have some pretty good support,” she said. “We want everybody to know that they helped us do a really good thing … People are going to be making a difference.”