We are the nonprofit organization Pet Rock Fest, Inc., and much like that doggie or kitty at the shelter, we are looking for a new home.
We are the largest animal festival in New England and a leading animal welfare organization. Once again, we find ourselves after 25 years without a home for our annual flagship festival (also called the Pet Rock Festival). We’re in search of a new permanent location and we’re hoping you can help.
What we are hoping to achieve in reaching out to you is some insight into ideas of venues in your town or surrounding areas that may be able to accommodate our next festival in September 2024.
We founded Pet Rock Fest in 1999 as an animal welfare nonprofit and event and have been increasingly successful each year. We have hosted our annual festival in a select few venues, and through no fault of our own, are searching again.
The Pet Rock Festival is an annual event held on the Sunday following Labor Day weekend (usually the second Sunday in September). It is an afternoon expo/festival that includes live music, vendors, vegetarian food, contests, doggie water park, awards, performances, and most importantly, more than 150 animal welfare organizations who set up and share their message and mission.
ALL proceeds from the festival are distributed to New England-based animal welfare organizations, including shelters, cruelty watchdogs, sanctuaries, rescue leagues and many others. Regular recipients of our festival include Red Rover/KIND News, Foster Parrots, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Maple Farm Sanctuary, and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA), to name but a few. $1,000, $500, and $250 awards are also awarded to rescue groups and shelters that win our coveted “lottery” and “adoptable dog parade” during the festival.
Pet Rock Fest has distributed more than half a million dollars since its inception to worthy animal causes in New England. We’ve also given to groups such as Mass. Vest-A Dog, Dog Orphans, the Community Cat Center, the Worcester Animal Rescue League and the Second Chance Animal Shelter, and contributed to funds for veterinary care, as well as reward funds to help catch perpetrators of animal cruelty.
Pet Rock Fest is not only a huge animal event, but a year-round endeavor to educate, promote and communicate with people the importance of treating animals with kindness. Our Website, www.petrockfest.com, and social media pages have become a portal for concerned animal lovers to unite and share information and thoughts.
Starting at the Hebert Candy Mansion in 1999, several years later we outgrew the location and were hosted by Quinsigamond Community College for many years, followed by many years at Wyman Gordon in Grafton. The relationships have been wonderful, and we’d be happy to connect you with representatives from the venues for references.
We hope to find a location with a similar size space and the willingness to allow us to transform this space into a well-organized and reputable one-day event that raises money and awareness for such an important cause. Ideally, we’re looking for a large, fenced in field, accessible from major highways or routes, with ample parking. Facilities and amenities would be a plus, but we’re very accustomed to bringing in our own.
We are a well-oiled machine, and Pet Rock Fest organizers professionally coordinate, set up, and break down the event with the utmost respect and consideration for the venue and its owners.
This festival has been supported by so many in our local area for so long that we cannot consider retiring its drive and momentum. We welcome any suggestions or recommendations you may have to offer us assistance for our worthy venture.
Not only would the collaboration be beneficial to us, but is a positive alliance for the town and/or venue that ultimately hosts us. Our reputation is stellar, and we’ve helped hundreds of charities with thousands of dollars since we started.
Please visit our website PetRockFest.org and visit our Facebook page to learn how we got our start, what our Festival is all about, and many opportunities to visit our past years' history of success.
Thank you for your assistance and consideration in this time-sensitive matter.
Please reach out to petrockfest@gmail.com should you be able to help with our search for a new home.