The Sleepy Barn

The Sleepy Barn is a farm-based events venue on six acres at 569 Pottsville Road, Sleepy Hollow, in the Tweed Shire hinterland between Pottsville and the Cudgen flats. Part of a working farm, it runs a licensed cafe, live music afternoons, food trucks and long table dinners, and the draw for dog owners is simple: your dog can laze with you in the open-air paddocks while the music plays.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on lead in the outdoor acreage and paddock areas only; the cafe building itself is off limits to pets, as with any licensed food venue. Keep the leash on at all times, bring a sociable dog, and carry waste bags, since you are expected to clean up and not leave waste in the paddocks. There is no dog entry fee, and beanbags are set out across the grass for relaxed listening.

The vibe

The venue is a local family operation that also keeps bees, sells its own honey and hosts weddings, with live music most Saturday afternoons, roughly 3pm to 6pm, and Sundays, plus community events such as movies under the stars and long table lunches. On-site accommodation is flagged as coming soon. Openings follow the What's On calendar rather than fixed daily hours, so check the website or Instagram for the specific weekend you have in mind.

Getting there and parking

The driveway runs off Pottsville Road, best accessed by car, with on-site parking inside the property. It is about ten minutes from Pottsville village and its beaches.

While you're out there

For a beach leg around an event, the off-leash stretch at Pottsville Dog Beach is the closest place to let your dog off lead under Tweed Shire rules, and Pottsville Beach Motel is the pet-friendly base if you are staying over.

More of the area's dog-friendly venues are on the Pottsville destination page, with the state list in the NSW cafes index.