September 20, 2020
Petals and Pups
The Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers has announced a dog-friendly program for this year’s event. Petals and Pups will run from
September 18 to 27. It includes garden tours, dog-friendly shopping and even a puppaccino.
It was inspired by the tartan-clad pooch “Puppy”, who led the first Carnival of Flowers parade in 1950. This year’s ambassador is Rambo, a seven-month-old, tricolour, pure-bred Australian Shepherd, who will proudly fly the canine flag.
Rambo’s owner Howard Du Plessis said Toowoomba was a brilliant city for dog-owners. “Toowoomba dogs must truly be some of the luckiest in the country – we have the glorious Queens Park Botanic Gardens and Laurel Bank Park to adventure through.”
The Petals and Pups 2020 program boasts more than 20 dog-friendly activities and 27 off-leash parks, as well as dog-friendly cafes, restaurants and accommodation recommendations. You can learn more at https://www.tcof.com.au/
Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers’ Petals and Pups program:
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 – a fur-bulous day of Instagrammable indulgence! This begins with a puppyccino (and cappuccino for the human), before some doggie day spa time (a signature cut and blow dry perhaps) followed by some well-behaved dog-friendly local luxe shopping (hello Harolds Finishing Touches) before taking in the blooms at Laurel Bank Park.
Adventure Dog Itinerary – it’s barking brilliant 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:
Toowoomba locals will tell you the café scene is worth sticking around for! Plan your day around stopping in for fresh local produce filled eats and master-brewed coffee at some of the region’s best dog-friendly cafes.
- Bar Wunder – 424 Ruthven St
- Burrow Café – 117a Bridge St
- Gips Restaurant – 120 Russell St
- Ground Up – 501 Ruthven St
- Home Grown Health – 11 Railway St
- Milk & Honey Espresso – 6 Ann St
- New Brew Café – 102 Taylor St
- Pony Espresso Coffee Bar – 2a Bowen St
- Travellers Coffee House – 189 Hume Street
- The Finch – 469-473 Ruthven St
- Urth Café – 195 Hume Street