If you’ve ever dreamed of hitting downtown Topeka in full pirate regalia (and who hasn’t , really?), then Saturday night is the opportunity for which you’ve been begging the big Buchaneer upstairs.
2ND ANNUAL DOWNTOWN
TOPEKA INC. PUB CRAWL
WHEN: 5 p.m. - midnight Saturday
WHERE: S. Kansas Avenue will be closed from 7th to 10th Streets and 8th Avenue will be closed between Jackson Street and S. Kansas Avenue
HOW MUCH: Registration is required. $15 fee includes a pirate hat, treasure map, bracelet and admission to all participating bars.
FYI: Official pub crawl T-shirts adorned with a skull and crossbones will be on sale Saturday evening for $10.
PARTICIPATING BARS:
Uncle Bo's, 420 S.E. 6th Ave.
The Kansan Grill, 705 S. Kansas Ave.
Lupita's Mexican Restaurant, 732 S. Kansas Ave.
The Celtic Fox, 118 S.W. 8th Ave.
The Office, 124 S.W. 8th Ave.
The Break Room, 911 S. Kansas Ave.
The Tool Shed Tap, 921 S. Kansas Ave.
Cousin's Tavern, 1211 S. Kansas Ave.
SPECIALS:
Here’s just a taste of the treasure trove of food and drink specials that will be available Saturday night. Your favorite isn’t on the list? Don’t sweat it. The captains at several ports of call are still pondering…
Celtic Fox: Shot special – watermelon crawl; bottles of Bud, Bud Lite, Miller, Miller Lite, Coors and Coors Lite for $3.25; for those who are registered, there will be additional drink specials available
Lupita’s: $1 tacos, $5 six-packs of tacos, $1.25 domestic bottles, $1.50 imported bottles, $3 24-oz. Coronas
The Office: $3.50 bombs, $6.25 pitchers, $12 buckets (five beers)
Downtown Topeka Inc. will be hosting the Scoundrels & Scalawags Pub Crawl Saturday beginning at 5 p.m. This year’s pub crawl is the second annual, inspired by the wild success of DTI’s inaugural event last year.
It’s not often that grown-ups get to wear eyepatchs and call their friends “matey” for an entire evening, so Cheryl Logan, DTI’s director of marketing, is encouraging pub crawl participants to go all out.
“People are really excited about the theme,” she said. “I think it’s developing a lot of interest.”There was a group of girls talking just today on Facebook about the matching outfits they were making for the event – they looked great!”
Eight bars in the vicinity of S. Kansas Avenue will be participating in this year's event and many of them will be serving up great food or drink specials for the rowdy Jack Sparrow lookalikes and their admiring throngs of wenches. South Kansas Avenue will be blocked off from 7th to 10th Streets, as will 8th Avenue between Jackson Street and S. Kansas Avenue, to allow attendees to walk freely from stop to stop.
Pub crawls quite often lead to shenanigans, and Logan said that last year’s participants pulled their share of wacky stunts to make the evening memorable.
“Last year, one group brought down a motor home full of people,” she said. “They all got out to pose in front of this mural downtown – they looked like they belonged in it.”
We at Splash! can only assume that the addition of pirates to this year’s pub crawl will only up the ante in the mischief department. Case in point – an actual portion of the event’s registration form:
“Keep in mind that although authentic is good, anyone carrying a weapon (real of plastic!) will become instant friends with the local authorities and may find themselves in stocks with Bloody Bill plundering their booty, so be smart and leave the toys at home. No weapons and no live animals!!!”
There may be no swords or parrots allowed, but word on the street is bottles of rum will be plentiful.
