What’s in store for the 2022 State College Santa Crawl?
Logic would suggest that after a two year COVID hiatus, it might just make sense to kill it once and for all. There’s solid reasoning behind that school of thought. 30% of the participating establishments have either folded or are under new ownership since the last Crawl and would have to be sold on participating. My two largest wristband sellers are no longer in business. The 30-somethings that were the original driving force behind the Crawl are now 50-somethings with much different priorities. The Pat Boland Memorial Internship Award is fully funded and can continue without our help.
That said, the Crawl is something that is near and dear to my heart and is hard to let go. Since the original Crawl started in 2004, it’s grown in orders of magnitude. It’s provided thousands of participants with a chance to spread joy and merriment to kick off the holiday season – and done so without any serious alcohol related incidents. Both town professionals and university students have embraced the sharing of the moment across the downtown pubs, clubs, and taverns. It would be a shame to see all that come to a screeching halt.
So I have a proposal. Let’s take the Crawl back to its basics – small groups of friends, dressing up in costume with their buddies, celebrating the holiday spirit in your favorite downtown establishment. No more defined itinerary, no more wristband sales, no more official photographs, no more bar specials. Just friends out having fun together.
Let’s see if the Santa Crawl has come of age and can stand on its own. Mark your calendars for Saturday Dec 10th, grab your favorite holiday outfit, gather up your crew and head downtown to celebrate with me.
Whose in with me?
I am most definitely IN, Larry!