Pet Rock Festival

Get ready, animal lovers. Pet Rock Fest, Inc. is ecstatic to announce that the 26th annual Pet Rock Festival at the Lancaster Fairgrounds, the beloved home of the Bolton Fair.

That's right, puppies and kittens. We've secured an incredible new venue for this year's festival, and we're confident it's our forever home. This exciting new location promises to make the 2024 Pet Rock Fest the best one yet.  

“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.”

Jeannie Hebert, Pet Rock Fest founding partner, adds, “It has been challenging to find a venue that fits Pet Rock Fest's format, footprint and mission. After much searching, Charlene and I are confident we have found a home.  Looking forward to hosting the next 25 years!"

Pet Rock Fest shines a spotlight on New England’s animal welfare organizations that tirelessly promote kindness to animals.

Now located in Worcester County on Route 117, near major routes such as 495 and 2, the 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.  

"The Lancaster Fairgrounds is thrilled to welcome the Pet Rock Festival to our venue,” said Rose Darden, event coordinator for the Lancaster Fairgrounds and fair manager for the Bolton Fair, Inc. “The fairgrounds in October are absolutely beautiful and will be the perfect backdrop for this very worthwhile organization and their outstanding event. We look forward to a successful partnership  for many years."

There is plenty of room to roar with all of our popular attractions and more, including: K9 demos; interactive, mission-focused, fun activities focused on pet care hosted by CMDART in collaboration with American Red Cross Central; the Pups In The Air disc dog team; live music; the Rescue Groups and Shelters Pet Parade; kids activities, Good Canine testing, 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.

Local nonprofit VegFest is once again teaming up with Pet Rock Fest to host its food court, featuring delicious offerings from top vegan restaurants and food vendors. Formerly known as VegWorcester, VegFest organizes the annual New England VegFest, a free event celebrating animal-friendly, environmentally sustainable, and healthy lifestyles. This animal-loving organization perfectly aligns with the mission of the Pet Rock Festival.

Pet Rock Fest will send updates with event schedules, attractions, vendors and sponsors. The nonprofit gives its proceeds to worthy animal related charities that support various causes, from shelters to law reform to farm animal sanctuaries.

Cost: $15 adults, $5 kids 12 and under