Get ready, animal lovers. The 26th annual Pet Rock Festival is locked in for Sunday, Oct. 6, from noon to 5 p.m. at the Lancaster (PA) Fairgrounds, the home of the beloved Bolton Fair.
“We’re not going to pretend this hasn’t been a struggle,” says Pet Rock Fest founding partner Charlene Arsenault. “After losing our previous ‘forever homes,’ we’ve tried several other locations. For anyone who’s attended, you know we need a lot of space, land, and parking to pull off this festival. We know we’ve said it before, but we truly believe this new location might finally be ‘the one.’ And even the date shift, moving just a couple of weeks into the heart of fall, could actually make for even better weather for both humans and pets.”
Brought to you this year by Festival Sponsor MA Homes, LLC, Pet Rock Fest shines a spotlight on New England’s animal welfare organizations that tirelessly promote kindness to animals.
Now taking place in Worcester County on Route 117 near major routes such as 495 and 2, Pet Rock Fest’s new venue is easily accessible from all directions. It features a spacious, grassy, fenced-in event area, three pavilions, two barns, a pond (perfect for doggy swims!), a paved walking path, and hundreds of on-site parking spaces. This location and layout lends itself to an event of this magnitude, catering to humans and animals alike.
There is plenty of room to roar with all of our popular attractions and more, including: K9 demos; an agility course hosted by CMDART; the Pups In The Air disc dog team; live music; the Rescue Groups and Shelters Pet Parade; kids activities, cat photo contest; book signings, annual Pet Rock Hero awards; speakers; amateur dog contest; vegetarian food court; animal mascots, doggie massages, demonstrations, free and low-cost microchipping and rabies shots from VCA; a doggie water park; photos of your pets; animal-friendly vendors; animal welfare organizations; and, most importantly, hundreds of nonprofit groups devoted to animal welfare causes.
Anyone interested in volunteering for, performing at, or taking part in the festival in any way (including vendors, sponsors or animal welfare organizations) should contact petrockfest@gmail.com.
For updates on the plans for the event, groups signed up to attend, and other official or not so official news, visit petrockfest.org or check us out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/petrockfest, on X (formerly Twitter) @Petrockfestival and Instagram @petrockfest.