Dog-Friendly Autumn Events & Days Out in Gloucestershire & the Cotswolds 2026 🍂🐶
Crunchy leaves, muddy paws, pumpkin patches and the return of coats, jumpers and questionable dog Halloween costumes, autumn with a dog in Gloucestershire is pretty hard to beat!
If you're looking for dog-friendly autumn events in Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds, we've rounded up some of the best things happening this September, October and November, (happy 'ber months!) from dog shows and dog swims to autumn trails, pumpkin picking, group walks and Halloween days out.
So grab the lead, find the wellies and prepare for your camera roll to become 90% orange leaves.
Event details and dog policies can change, so we'd always recommend double-checking with the venue before travelling.
Pssst... Just looking for a Pumpkin Patch?
Our top recommendations are:
(Tap or learn about each more below!)
🍁 Autumn Events Happening Throughout the Season
Westonbirt's Autumn Trail – Tetbury
7 September – 30 November 2026
If autumn colours are the main event for you, Westonbirt is an obvious place to start.
Chicken Wears Frog Chérie at Westonbirt
This year's Perfectly Imperfect autumn trail winds through Silk Wood and celebrates Westonbirt's Japanese maple collection, with nine Japanese-inspired concepts encouraging you to experience the colours and landscape a little differently.
Most importantly for us, the entire trail is in dog-friendly Silk Wood.
📍 Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Tetbury
🎃 Jolly Nice Pumpkin Patch – Near Stroud
19 September – 31 October 2026
One of the best options if you're searching for dog-friendly pumpkin picking near Stroud.
Jolly Nice in Frampton Mansell has hundreds of pumpkins and squash to explore alongside autumn displays, seasonal activities, a fire pit for marshmallow toasting and hobby horse stables!
Well-behaved dogs are welcome on leads and dog tickets cost £2.
📍 Jolly Nice, Frampton Mansell, Stroud
🏴 SweetPea’s Great Treat Hunt – Cotswold Designer Outlet, Tewkesbury
Sunday 27 September 2026 | 10:30am–4:30pm
Join UK Sniffer Dogs Instructor Lucy from SweetPea’s K9 ScentWork School for a treasure hunt designed especially for dogs. Pups and their humans can follow the trail, use their noses to search for hidden treats and surprises, and have a go at some fun scentwork along the way.
There’ll also be dog-inspired stalls, interactive activities and plenty of dog treats, making it a lovely day out for dogs of all shapes, sizes and sniffing abilities.
📍 Cotswold Designer Outlet, Tewkesbury
🐕 Great Global Greyhound Walk – Stroud
(AND ELSEWHERE!)
Sunday 27 September 2026 – 11am
Calling all greyhounds, whippets, lurchers and fellow sighthounds! The Great Global Greyhound Walk is taking place in Stroud, with a local walk organised by the wonderful Forever Hounds Trust.
The walk starts from The Old Lodge in Minchinhampton and lasts around 45 minutes, with shorter options available if needed. Dogs are welcome in the pub afterwards, where there’ll be vegan cake for humans and sausages for the dogs, with donations going to Forever Hounds Trust.
No booking needed – just turn up with dogs kept on leads throughout.
Not a local? Find your nearest Global Greyhound Walk Here.
📍 The Old Lodge, Cirencester Road, Minchinhampton, Stroud, GL6 9AQ
🥾 Five Valleys Walk – Stroud
Sunday 27 September 2026
2026 marks the 40th year of Meningitis Now, and the much-loved Five Valleys Walk returns as its flagship fundraising event.
Taking place through the beautiful Cotswold countryside around Stroud, the walk offers routes for all ages and abilities, from 1.5 miles right up to the full 21-mile challenge. Once you’ve finished your chosen distance, Stagecoach buses can help get you back to different points along the route.
There’s also a new Five Valleys 5K, an accessible route following the canal path to Stonehouse Court Hotel and back to Stroud Cricket Club, with activities for children along the way.
And yes, dogs on lead are welcome.
🎃 Cotswold Farm Park – Pumpkin Picking
Chicken wears Strawbearies at Cotswold Farm Park
Dog-Friendly Pumpkin Patch Dates:
2–4 October
9–11 October
16–18 October
21–31 October
Cotswold Farm Park's dog-friendly pumpkin patch returns throughout October with PYO pumpkins, carving, seasonal food, face painting on weekends and plenty of autumn photo spots.
Dogs are specifically welcomed in the pumpkin patch, which even has selfie stations for canine visitors! It's one of our absolute favourites and you can read a summary of the event on our Blog Post Here.
Just rememeber: Dogs can't enter the main Farm Park itself, but they can visit the Pumpkin Patch and Ox Shed restaurant area.
🐕
Guided Cotswold Dog Walk
4 October & 1 November 2026
Cotswold Farm Park also runs an organised countryside dog walk on the first Sunday of the month.
The walk starts at 8.30am, lasts around an hour and costs just £2.50, including a drink afterwards. Chicken absolutely love the walkies we have joined.
Dogs join for free.
📍 Cotswold Farm Park, Guiting Power
🎃 Over Farm Pumpkin Season – Gloucester
Chicken Wears Frog Chérie at Over Farm
Daytime Pumpkin Festival
Weekends from 3 October + daily 23–31 October 2026
Over Farm's enormous pumpkin patch returns with thousands of pumpkins, seasonal displays, street food and plenty of opportunities for photos. Learn more on our blog post HERE!
The patch is dog friendly, although dogs need to remain on leads.
🌙 Pumpkins After Dark
9–10 October
16–17 October
23–31 October
The patch stays open from 6pm–10pm, with live music, fire performers, food, a bar, spooky displays and an evening tractor ride.
And your dog can come too.
Well-behaved dogs are welcome on leads, dog admission is £2 and they even receive a treat at the entrance!
📍 Over Farm, Gloucester
🐕 Cheltenham Animal Shelter Autumn Dog Show
Saturday 3 October 2026, 12pm–4pm
Cheltenham Animal Shelter sadly had to cancel this years Summer Open Day, but are back with their Autumn Dog Show which includes a fun dog show (with musical sits!) alongside children's games, tombolas, a raffle, BBQ and more!
A wonderful dog event and a very lovely addition to an autumn weekend.
📍 Cheltenham Animal Shelter, Cheltenham
🐶 Woofchester Wednesday Dog Walks
From 7 October 2026
National Trust is running guided group walks specifically for dogs and their humans, beginning on 7 October and then continuing monthly through spring.
A really lovely option if you prefer your dog walks with some company.
P.s! Don't forget to check out National Trust's Pooch Passport!
🦇 Brilliant Bats and Stranger Folk
Woodchester also has a range of family autumn wildlife events happening through the 'ber months!
Activities run from 10am–4pm each day at Tinkley Gate.
📍 Woodchester Park, near Nailsworth
🏊 Cheltenham Lido - Dog Swim
10–11 October 2026
For one weekend after the human swimming season, Cheltenham Lido opens its pool to dogs!
Dogs can swim in the outdoor pool, their humans are allowed in with them and there are stalls and a raffle around the site, and they even play 'Who Let the Dogs Out' on entry!
Tickets have to be pre-purchased and dogs need to stay on lead around the grounds until they enter the water.
📍 Cheltenham Lido, Cheltenham
🍂 Bisley Autumn Market – Near Stroud
11 October 2026, 10am–1pm
A lovely little local option for a slower autumn morning.
The Bisley Market is taking place at WI Village Hall with a mix of autumn treats, preserves, crafts, plants and freshly baked bread, plus freshly brewed coffee, bubble tea and more.
There’s also a raffle in aid of Breast Cancer Research UK.
And importantly for this guide, well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome, so it’s an easy one to combine with a walk around Bisley or the surrounding countryside afterwards.
📍 WI Village Hall, Bisley,
🐶 Dobbies Pup-kin Patch
17, 18, 24 & 25 October 2026
Dobbies' Pup-kin Patch lets your dog sniff around and choose an autumn toy to take home, try an optional mini obstacle course and pose for a digital autumn “paw-trait.”
Tickets are £13.50 per dog and humans go free.
Local participating stores include Tewkesbury, with other stores running the same event around the region.
Fancy dress is very much welcome.
🦇 The Big Bat Trail – Painswick Rococo Garden
24 October – 1 November 2026
Chicken Wears Frog Chérie at Rococo
Painswick Rococo Garden is looking particularly autumnal by October half term, which makes its Big Bat Trail a good excuse for a visit.
Bats are hidden around the garden for visitors to find, with facts to discover and a prize for completing the trail.
You can also explore the maze, follies, play area and gardens while you're there.
Well-behaved dogs on short leads are welcome.
📍 Painswick Rococo Garden
🐟 Bibury Trout Farm – Autumn & Halloween Fun
Bibury Trout Farm has also been getting involved in autumn this year, including seasonal pumpkin content shared through its social channels.
The farm itself is dog friendly, with well-behaved dogs welcomed on leads.
Then from 24 October–1 November, Bibury is running an official Halloween Trail, with spooky surprises to find around the farm, marshmallow toasting, photo opportunities and a prize for completing the trail.
And because you're in Bibury, you can obviously combine it with a very autumnal wander through one of the prettiest Cotswold villages afterwards!
📍 Bibury Trout Farm, Bibury
🚂 Perrygrove Railway Autumn Trail – Forest of Dean
24 October – 1 November 2026
You can ride the heritage railway, spot seasonal surprises from the train, follow the autumn trail and explore woodland walks, dens, treehouses and other activities around the site.
There are dog-friendly spaces to roam, making it a really good October half-term option for the whole family.
📍 Perrygrove Railway, Coleford
🍁 The Best Autumn Dog Walks in Gloucestershire & the Cotswolds
You don't actually need an organised event to make the most of autumn.
Sometimes all you need is a lead, a coffee and somewhere with an unreasonable quantity of orange leaves.
Westonbirt's Silk Wood is an obvious choice for autumn colour, while Woodchester Park gives you lakes, woodland and long countryside routes around the Stroud area.
The Forest of Dean is another favourite when everything starts changing colour, with miles of woodland to explore.
And around Stroud itself, Minchinhampton Common, Rodborough Common and the surrounding valleys are hard to beat on a crisp autumn day.
Just remember that autumn usually also means mud.
A lot of mud.
Possibly more mud than dog.
🎃 Can You Take Dogs Pumpkin Picking?
Yes! if you choose the right pumpkin patch.
Around Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds, there are several pumpkin-picking experiences where dogs are actively welcomed rather than simply tolerated.
For 2026, some of the strongest options are:
Jolly Nice near Stroud
Cotswold Farm Park
Over Farm near Gloucester.
If you're taking your dog pumpkin picking, we'd recommend bringing a towel for the car, keeping them on lead around other visitors and choosing a quieter time if they aren't particularly keen on crowds.
🍂 Dog Clothes for Autumn: Why We Love a Poochie Suit
Especially If you've got a Whippet, Italian Greyhound, Greyhound, Lurcher, Galgo, Xolo or another dog that feels the cold, autumn usually means one thing: the dog clothes are coming back out!
Poochie Suits are our take on an autumn dog jumper and four-legged dog onesie, super soft, stretchy and designed to give slender dogs a little extra coverage when the weather starts getting cooler, both in and out the house.
The four-leg design covers more of the body than a traditional dog jumper, making it particularly handy for chilly autumn walks, wet grass and muddy adventures. The fabric is quick-drying too, so there's a little less soggy-dog chaos when you get home.
So if you're looking for Whippet clothes, a sighthound jumper, an Italian Greyhound onesie or simply something comfy for a dog that feels the cold, that's exactly what the Poochie Suit was made for!
Practical for autumn walks. Not remotely interested in autumn beige.
👻 Halloween Costumes for Dogs
Of course, eventually autumn turns into Halloween.
Which means one thing:
The annual opportunity to make your dog look absolutely ridiculous.
Whether you're going for a full Halloween costume, matching human-and-dog outfits or just adding an autumn bow or bandana, your dog's comfort should always come first.
Anything they wear should allow them to move, see, hear and breathe normally.
📸 Autumn Dog Photo Season
Pumpkin patches. Orange leaves. Foggy mornings. Woodland walks.
October for some is one enormous dog photoshoot.
If you're planning autumn photos, quieter weekday sessions at popular places can be a better choice for dogs who find crowds overwhelming.
Pumpkin patches like Jolly Nice and Cotswold Farm Park offer particularly good seasonal backdrops, while Westonbirt takes care of the leaves for you.
🍂 Autumn Safety for Dogs
There are a couple of less glamorous parts of autumn dog ownership worth remembering too.
Woodland floors suddenly become filled with interesting things your dog would quite like to investigate with their mouth.
That includes acorns, conkers and wild mushrooms (and sometimes chocolate dropped by hoomans!) so keep an eye on what they're sniffing or picking up during woodland walks.
The evenings also get darker quickly, so reflective or light-up walking accessories can be useful for late-afternoon and evening walks.
Then once Halloween arrives, keep chocolate and sweets safely away from dogs and be careful with frequently opening front doors when trick-or-treaters start appearing.
Save the scary stuff for the humans!
Dog-Friendly Autumn in Gloucestershire 🍂🐕
Dog show? Pumpkin patch? Woodland walk? Dog swim? Pottery painting? An entire festival dedicated to dogs?
Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds have loads of dog-friendly things to do this autumn, whether you want a proper event or just somewhere beautiful for a Sunday walk.
We'll keep this guide updated as more dog-friendly autumn events, October half-term activities and Halloween events in Gloucestershire are announced.
Got one to share? Contact us and let us know!
And if you visit any of them, tag @poochiekeen in your autumn adventures!
Brooke & Chicken
Poochie Keen xo