Dog festival supporting rare condition charity returns after sell-out event

Frenchie Fest will be celebrating the dog breed in what is set to be the biggest French bulldog meet-up ever held in the New Forest.

Hundreds of ‘frenchies’ will take to Exbury Club for the 2025 event on April 19 and 20.

Tickets for the last event sold out within eight days and supported charity Mast Cell Action, a support group very close to organiser Jemma Garrett Heighway’s heart.

Jemma Garrett Heighway, event organiser for Frenchie Fest. (Image: Jemma Garrett Heighway) “About five years ago, I started suffering from all sort of weird symptoms,” Jemma started to explain.

“Weird rashes, chronic pain, my lips would swell up to three times the size. I struggled to find out what was wrong with me for a long time.

“I came across Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and it was the only thing that ticked every box.”

MCAS is a condition caused by mast cells mistakenly alerting a person’s immune system into thinking something harmful is within the body.

Frenchie Fest has stalls for ‘all things French bulldogs.’ (Image: Alex Burton) The condition left Jemma bedridden, and she used the time to study for two degrees, eventually completing a masters degree in criminal psychology in 2024.

Even when bed-ridden, she fought through and stayed productive, eventually organising the first Frenchie Fest where 10 per cent of ticket sales go towards Mast Cell Action.

“It’s been a bit of a mad journey the last two years and I just want to get the message out there, but also do something fun to help people who are going through what I’ve gone through,” Jemma said.

Each dog gets a ‘puppuccino’ made of whipped cream on arrival, and the event celebrates all things ‘frenchie.’

“We’ve got things you wouldn’t even think of,” Jemma said.

The last Frenchie Fest was a massive success as tickets sold out within eight days. (Image: Alex Burton) “We’ve got a doggy bakery. We’ve got a pet physio coming to talk about French bulldog health issues, we’ve got a central arena for a dog show and we’ve got raffle prizes.”

Co-organiser Alex Burton said that Frenchie Fest is an event where ‘everyone’ is welcome.

Alex said: “We’ve got a few guys who talk about animal behaviour, a few stalls, everything Frenchie relevant, a pet physio to talk about health issues bulldogs face. It’s all about the piggy pugs.

“We’re doing lots of natural treats, a few stall vendors who have very Frenchie specific toys, training tools. There will be Frenchie coats so they don’t get wet, everything from dog leads to food to clothing.”