By: Melissa Misthal

No matter what time of year it is, it is always a good time to bring your dog with you to eat, shop, and have fun! Below is a bunch of things to do with your dog this holiday season!

Visit a farm for Christmas trees, holiday decorations, and some outdoor time

A Casola Farms (Holmdel): Christmas trees, holiday plants, decorations, letters to Santa, and hot beverages! 

Colonial Nursery (Red Bank), a really beautiful garden center setup for the holidays!  

Anne Ellen Christmas Tree Farm (Manalapan), find your perfect Christmas tree, visit the Christmas Shop, have some hot chocolate, visit animals, and even take a picture with Santa.  

Wineries, Breweries, and Eateries, Oh My!

Fox Hollow Vineyards (Holmdel): for a lovely and relaxing day out, Fox Hollow Vineyards is a great place to take your dog. Leashed dogs are allowed inside where you can order from the friendly bartenders a glass, flight, bottles, or food (you may also bring your own light snacks). Dogs are also allowed at their other spaces, including a covered indoor/outdoor space and a fully outdoor space with fire pits and views of the farm and vineyard. Doggie bags are provided along the driveway and there’s plenty of space to take a walk. Every Friday there is live music from 6-9PM. Hot mulled wine and fire-pits are back for the season. 

Raritan Bay Brewing Company (Keansburg): Dogs are allowed at their beautiful indoor tasting room and back outdoor deck! There are a nice variety of beers, including a lot of lighter options which Brie’s pawrents enjoy! You may also BYO food! Something unique and super cool is their pay-it-forward board where you pay $5 to cover a pint of beer for someone of your choosing. Simply write a note about who can redeem it (your friend, someone in the military, a teacher, somebody with your birthday, really anyone that you choose and you can be as creative as you want)! Perfect way to give back this time of year! Another cool thing is that the brewery is a few feet away from the Henry Hudson Trail, a nice path to walk your doggie! 

Belford Brewing Company (Belford) is one of our favorite dog friendly stops! Dogs are allowed inside the cozy tasting room and there’s always a bunch of homemade beers on tap and you can bring your own food! The tasting room gets a bit noisy, so know what your dog can handle before your visit! 

Carton Brewing (Atlantic Highlands): Upon entering, we took a short tour and then headed upstairs for flights in the tasting room. The room has a cozy vibe and the 6 flights really filled us up. It got quite busy and we look forward to seeing their new building that’s in construction on the adjacent lot. Dogs are allowed everywhere and must be leashed. Brie met a few dogs and a bunch of friendly people! Afterwards, we walked to the bay and saw the NYC skyline! 

Shopping!

Bell Works Fresh Farmer’s and Maker’s Market (Holmdel): every Wednesday from 12:00-5:00PM, the Bell Works building hosts an opportunity to browse and buy local goods including produce, baked goods, artisanal foods, art, wellness and more. The best part is: dogs are allowed! A good place to find gifts and fresh food for your holiday dinner table. 

Monmouth Mall (Eatontown) is hosting pet photo nights with Santa! December 2, 9, and 16 starting at 5:00PM! 

Cosmopawlitan has a couple of dates for pet photos with Santa! December 1 and 13! 

The Groom Room (Highlands): Get your pup all freshened up for the holidays! Under new ownership for the last couple of years and newly remodeled, The Groom Room is located in the business district of the Highlands. Brie had a nice appointment with long-time groomer, Chris. We warned Chris about Brie’s sassiness when it comes to grooming and Chris handled her like a champ. Brie came out perfectly soft and fluffy, smelling amazing from their high-end products, and her problem areas taken care of [overgrown fur on face (especially near the eyes), paws, and tushy]. Heather is also available for grooming appointments and groomed a Brie-look-alike just the other day!

Something we have never heard of, but this place does, is cat grooming! So, if they can handle Brie’s sassiness, they can handle a cat’s sassiness too. We also liked that Brie wasn’t waiting around for hours in a cage. You make an appointment and then drop off at your scheduled time, and pick them up in under 60-90 minutes (depending on breed). This is just enough time to grab a meal or walk to the water and enjoy the beautiful bay views! 

We think dogs make everything better all the time and they especially help during what could be a somewhat stressful holiday season. Take your dog with you and make new memories! If you’d like to follow where Brie goes next, catch her on Facebook and Instagram. Special thanks to Greg for inviting us to guest-post on his brilliant blog!