Rural Hill's Sheepdog Trials and Dog Festival is Nov. 14-15, 2026, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 4431 Neck Road in Huntersville. Leashed dogs are welcome.

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Updated each year. Details come from Historic Rural Hill’s event page, its home page and its Eventbrite ticket listing. Confirm before you go.

The Rural Hill Sheepdog Trials and Dog Festival is Saturday, Nov. 14, and Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, at Historic Rural Hill, 4431 Neck Road. It runs rain or shine, parking is free and leashed dogs are welcome. Buy tickets on Eventbrite or call Rural Hill at 704-875-3113.

Rural Hill, a 265-acre historic site and farm in western Huntersville, also hosts the corn maze every fall and the Loch Norman Highland Games every spring.

What happens

From Rural Hill’s event page:

  • Sheepdog trials: trained herding dogs guide sheep through a course of obstacles, working on a whistle and a word from their handlers.
  • Dog sports and demonstrations: agility, obedience and trick performances, with trainers on hand.
  • Huntersville’s Next Top Dog Show: an annual show for visitors’ dogs, on Saturday afternoon.
  • Vendors and food: pet vendors and food trucks.

Tickets

Rural Hill sells tickets through Eventbrite.

  • Price: the 2026 listing showed tickets from $9.91 to $30.91 with fees when we checked. The ticket types are on the listing.
  • Refunds: Eventbrite lists refunds up to seven days before the event, but Rural Hill says there are no refunds for bad weather.

Getting there and parking

  • Parking is free, the Eventbrite listing says.
  • Use Neck Road. Rural Hill says there is no public access from Jim Kidd Road, so check that your GPS routes you to 4431 Neck Road.
  • Rural Hill does not publish road closures for the festival.

Bringing your dog

  • Dogs must be well behaved and on a leash, Rural Hill says.
  • Rural Hill’s policies page asks owners to bring a scooper and bags to clean up after their dogs.
  • At most of Rural Hill’s other public events, pets are not allowed; this festival is the exception.

What to know before you go

  • Rain or shine. The trial goes ahead in bad weather.
  • No smoking or vaping anywhere on the property, under a Mecklenburg County ordinance.
  • Questions: info@ruralhill.net or 704-875-3113.

More

More dog-friendly places are in our dog-friendly Huntersville guide, and other fall events are in fall festivals and pumpkin patches and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

When are the Rural Hill sheepdog trials in 2026?

Saturday, Nov. 14, and Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Historic Rural Hill, 4431 Neck Road in Huntersville.

Can I bring my dog to the Rural Hill Sheepdog Trials?

Yes. Rural Hill says well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome at the Sheepdog Trials and Dog Festival.

How much are tickets to the Rural Hill Sheepdog Trials?

Rural Hill sells tickets on Eventbrite, where the 2026 listing showed prices from $9.91 to $30.91 with fees when we checked. Parking is free.

Are the sheepdog trials canceled for rain?

No. Rural Hill says the trial is a rain-or-shine event and there are no refunds for bad weather.

What is Huntersville’s Next Top Dog Show?

A dog show for visitors’ own dogs, held Saturday afternoon of the Sheepdog Trials and Dog Festival at Rural Hill.