Terrestrial's Puppy Bowl Beats The Super Bowl Blues

Super Bowl Sunday can be a depressing day in Cleveland, as the Dawg Pound’s barks have quieted to whimpers. But like a well-timed puppy Insta on a ruff day at work, Terrestrial Brewing Co.’s free-to-attend Puppy Bowl is any dog lover’s cure to the Super Bowl blues.

If strategy wins on the gridiron, chaotic cuteness reigns supreme on the toy-strewn “field” that takes up almost all of the dog-friendly Battery Park brewery during the third annual event on Feb. 2.

“It’s just a puppy free-for-all,” says co-founder Ryan Bennett. “It’s something really fun to do before the game starts.”

While the field’s lines may be arbitrary, the football-themed costume contest is where the real glory lies. Pups dressed in shoulder pads, jerseys or other football-inspired outfits can make owners proud by earning a gift basket “trophy” filled with swag from Terrestrial and Social Paws, the event’s charity sponsor.

With bites from La Plaza Taqueria, special on-tap brews inspired by the brewery’s beloved Dog Bowl Club and the 15th annual Animal Planet Puppy Bowl on TV screens, the event’s inspiration, this puppy contest is the best way to spend football’s last day.

“The amount of dogs just grows every year,” Bennett says. “It’s just great to see the camaraderie between all the owners.”

Free, Feb. 2, noon-4 p.m., Terrestrial Brewing Co., 7524 Father Frascati Dr., Cleveland, eventbrite.com