Petals and Pups
Lifestyle, What's on

Pets, petals, and art at the 2018 Carnival of Flowers

By · On July 22, 2018

This year’s Carnival of Flowers is shaping up to be one of the best, with several new and fun features added.

Petals & Pups

Let’s go straight to the best news ever – Carnival introduces the first ever dog friendly itineraries.

Petals & Pups is a pawesome program that boasts more than 30 dog-friendly activities, 27 off-leash parks and 20 human-and-hound accommodation stays for you and your pupper.

Dogs have always been a part of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers. At the very first Carnival parade in 1950 the Toowoomba Thistle Band’s drum major, Mr Hugh Morgan, set the benchmark with his tartan-clad pooch ‘Puppy’ marching alongside the ensemble. Today a statue commemorating ‘Puppy’ stands at the iconic Picnic Point.

Here’s a taste of Petals & Pups:

The Cultured Canine Itinerary – if spending a weekend strolling through perfectly manicured gardens, taking in amazing art and indulging in a long lunch (all with your canine companion in tow) appeals, then this is your pawfect pick. The days starts with some laneway love, exploring Toowoomba’s fantastic street art scene, before a visit to Picnic Point where a selfie with the famous bronze statue of “Puppy” is a must. From here, it’s a lazy lunch, before an off-leash play at Queens Park and then some petal time in the Botanic Gardens.

Pampered Pup Itinerary – the pawfect day of Instagrammable indulgence! This begins with a puppaccino (and cappuccino for the human), before some Doggie Day Spa time (a signature cut and blow dry perhaps) followed by some dog-friendly local luxe shopping before taking in the petals at Laurel Bank Park.

Adventure Dog Itinerary – it’s the barking brilliant day for action-packed trailblazers and starts with a hearty breakfast, a bushland adventure at Garnett Lehman Park, a snack (and a great single origin coffee for humans) before free ranging at Dr Alex Horn Park (great for sunsets!).

Pet Friendly Places to Eat

Plan your day around stopping in for fresh produce and master-brewed coffee at some of the region’s best pup friendly cafes.

  • The Park House CafĂ© – 92 Margaret St, Toowoomba
  • The Chocolate Cottage – 10475 New England Hwy, Highfields
  • The Finch – 2/469-473 Ruthven St, Toowoomba
  • Piccolo Papa – 4/52 High St, Rangeville
  • Extraordinary Joe – 102 Taylor St, Toowoomba
  • Sage + Butler (was Red Bench CafĂ©) – 62 Margaret St, Toowoomba
  • The Bungalow and Basket – 4/400 Ruthven St, Toowoomba

Full itineraries at tcof.com.au

The Night Garden powered by Ergon Energy

From Wednesday 26 September to Sunday 30 September from 6.30pm, Queens Park is going to light up in a magical experience. This adventure in illumination will include glowing colours and lights, installations, LED lighting and ground to sky brilliance.

Both new programs are just part of the overall Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers 2018 which features more than 66 unique events and experiences, including beautiful garden tours, internationally acclaimed music acts, some of the region’s best food and wine, and a multitude of cultural and natural adventures over 10 glorious days from September 21 to 30.

More program detail, ticketing, information on tours and accommodation can be found at www.tcof.com.au or www.facebook.com.au/CarnivalFlowers

Thrive on Arts

The Empire Theatre is getting in on the act during Carnival of Flowers, with their Thrive on Arts program.

Thrive on Arts will be a creative space for young people, families and the wider community that celebrates play, imagination, creativity and storytelling during the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.

The Empire Theatres will be transformed into a vibrant center of artistic activity and interactive experiences across 10 days of the Spring school holidays. Participants of all ages will get to explore their world, indulge their creative instincts and get carried away by powerful storytelling.

The family program includes a mixture of activities to excite ages 1-15 years. But the fun is not just for the young ones, a wide variety of shows in the evening will have something for everyone from the young to the young at heart, including Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Comedy Festival, and The Block’s Amity Dry in 39 Forever.

Whether it be music, drama, art or a workshop that brings you to the space, stay a while and try something new.

All the exciting details can be found here – https://www.empiretheatre.com.au/thrive-on-arts/ or join the Facebook event for regular updates – https://www.facebook.com/events/1882675028702978/

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