Newport Beach Santa Pub Crawl
This time of year there are many fun activities happening, where I live. This year my friends and I decided that we would try Newport Beach’s 4th Annual Santa Pub Crawl. Newport Beach actually has three different pub crawls, one on Saturday afternoon and two others that start at 9pm. We opted for the afternoon crawl. Tickets are $30 per person, but if you buy 10 or more the price is $10 per person. So we gathered up a group of us and shelled out the ten bucks. The idea is to dress up in fun holiday attire and start at a specific bar (Malarky’s for us) and then walk to bar to bar, partaking in drink and food specials. We were given a map at Malarky’s to know which bar to go to next and a wristband showing that we paid and were part of this event. Apparently 20% of everyone’s bill is donated to charity.
Our group consisted of a Santa Claus, two sexy Santa’s, an ugly Christmas sweater, an ornament, a bag of Christmas gifts, a giant elf and three guys donning Christmas Hawaiian shirts and Santa Hats. We entered Malarkys where there was a check-in line filled with Santa’s, snowmen and reindeers. There was a buzz of excitement as we ordered our drinks and mingled and took selfies with one another inside. The atmosphere was definitely holiday spirit. There was a mixed age group from young (maybe fake I.D.’s) to seniors and everyone in a great mood admiring each other’s costumes.
From Malarkys our map told us to walk across the street to Rudy’s Bar and Grill. A bouncer wearing an inflatable reindeer checked our wrist bands and ushered us onto the crowded patio filled to capacity with costumed pub crawlers. As we meandered our way through the crowd to the bar, one guy had a fishing pole with mistletoe on the end of it and when a girl walked by, he held up the mistletoe so that it was hanging over his head and puckered his lips for a kiss. Got to hand it to him, he was certainly trying to take every advantage of the situation!
Our next stop was Newport Brew Company. Packed again with crawlers! At this point in time we started to see some of the same people that we met in the first two bars. We greeted these people as if we were longtime friends. Three stops and five more to go…
Avila’s El Ranchito, American Junkie, Woody’s Wharf and Stag Bar and Kitchen here we come.
Well we all are responsible drinkers so we “ubered” it home. What a fun afternoon and all for a good cause!
Note to self: Next year, eat before you start the crawl, drink plenty of water in between your alcoholic drinks and most importantly, you don’t have to drink at every stop. Ho Ho HO!
