This is the first of a series of regularly reoccurring blog posts, meant to help people find events and locations that are dog approved.
Nestled in the Bear Mountain State Park, just off the Palisades Parkway at exit 17 is the new site of an annual Oktoberfest that Rowdy loves to attend. My dog is, like me, a German mutt. At one point we did a DNA test and the results were Dachshund, Doberman, Min Pin, Weimaraner and Schnauzer. So obviously oompah music is in his personal playlist.
There are some great trails nearby, and your dog will love burning off some energy first by going on a nice walk in the woods. After that, the entire festival is not just dog tolerant but seriously dog friendly. People approach, ask very nicely if they can greet your dog, and have a hand out for a sniff before you have to instruct them to do so. The dog culture is on point!
There’s an assortment of booths set up selling crafts as well as food, but Rowdy honed in on one that seemed a little more important than the others. Good Reasons is a not-for-profit dog treat company on a mission. They create scrumptious, human-grade all natural dog treats, while providing employment opportunities to people with autism and other developmental disabilities.
We saw all kinds of other shapes and sizes of dogs there, from tiny Tibetan Terriers to great big Great Danes and everything in-between. All were friendly and approachable. The food was yummy above the table and below. The music was appropriately silly and the beer… well Rowdy was the designated driver so he didn’t have any of that.
The party continues until October 30th and we might return, so maybe we’ll see you there! Here’s a link to the Bear Mountain Inn Oktoberfest site.
Fred Zorn Dog Training 