This bank holiday we continued an annual tradition and made our way to South Parks in Oxford for the Foodies Festival 2018. We have been going to Foodies Festivals for the past 3 years, either in Bristol or Oxford (sometimes both). It always guarantees a fab day out and this year we were particularly excited to take Buddy along for the day.

With live music, masterclasses, food stalls, and market stalls, the Foodies Festival is a haven for food lovers. While I didn’t sample every stall by a long shot I still managed to eat: dairy-free ice-cream, chocolate mousse, cider, gin, sauces, curry, samosas, duck pancakes, more cider, souvlaki, gouda, churros, more gin, garlic pickles, biltong, and haloumi fries. Needless to say I’m glad I didn’t have breakfast and I definitely didn’t need dinner!

Buddy also had a great day. He got to meet lots of other dogs from Oxford, and got quite a few tasters of his own. There was no shortage of dogs at the event, and the sights and smells would make for a great socialisation experience for pups of all ages.

Tops tips for taking your dog to Foodies Festival

• Short leashes are required! No one wants their dog disappearing into a food stall or running across the park; keep your dogs close and under control, as there will be lots of distractions.

• Bring water. Foodies Festival is a dog friendly event, but they don’t cater for dogs. You won’t find water bowls around, so be sure to bring your own. You can also either bring water in a bottle or fill up your bowl using the sinks in the loos.

• Keep your eyes on the ground. Naturally at a food festival, a lot of food gets dropped. This can make for a great day for your dog (Buddy managed to find 4 churros on the ground), but it could also lead to disaster. We narrowly avoided a trip to the vets when Buddy picked up a chicken bone that someone had thrown on the ground (luckily I managed to get my hands in his mouth quickly). Especially if your dog has any allergies, it would be worth being extra vigilant.

• Be sure to sniff out any stands that are dog-related so that they can get some free samples too. This year Tails.com were at the event offering lots of treats to passing pups and 2 weeks of free dog-food. Naturally we signed up there and then, and Buddy came away with a goodie bag
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Although the weather was grey, we had a fabulous day and left feeling thoroughly stuffed and ready for big sleeps. The new music stage was perhaps a bit loud for the chilled afternoon event we were used to, but it was easy enough to get away from if you needed and I’m sure made for a great evening of entertainment.

Oxford marks the end of the season for Foodies Festival (the next event is in Tatton Park and Edinburgh for Christmas), but we are already looking forward to welcoming them back to South Parks next year.

For more information visit: http://foodiesfestival.com/

Did you go to the Foodies Festival this weekend? Let us know in the comments below.