RAISING SPIRITS
Pub crawl brings holiday cheer to downtown
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Instead of going out for some last minute holiday shopping, some people decided to participate in a pub crawl Saturday afternoon in downtown Saratoga Springs.
The Saratoga City Tavern hosted the 11th annual Ugly Sweater Pub Crawl on Saturday. This year, the event was sponsored by Founders Brewing Co. and Red Bull. Donations and contributions this year went to St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a nonprofit organization with the aim of raising funds to help find cures for children with cancer. Attendees who donated money and participated in the event received a Saratoga City Tavern winter hat.
“Eleven years ago, when we first purchased the bar, my friends and I would go out on a Christmas EveEve party; and then, [during] the first year we [had] this place, my brother had the idea of making it into a charity event,” said Jason Fitch, owner of Saratoga City Tavern.
Fitch said the annual event at first started with around 20 of his friends, but over the years the event continues to grow and the annual event usually raises a few thousand dollars.
“It started with about 20 of my personal friends and then it just slowly built up to all of our regulars and other customers and 11
“It started with about 20 of my personal friends and then it just slowly built up to all of our regulars and other customers and 11 years later we’re still doing it.” — Jason Fitch, owner of Saratoga City Tavern
years later we’re still doing it,” said Fitch.
The pub crawl, which lasted more than five hours, started at Saratoga City Tavern and then continued on to the Ice House, Bailey’s, Putnam Den, The Alley, Desperate Annie’s and ended at Caroline Street Pub.
Some of the participants said they continue to come back for the event each year.
“I’ve been coming here for the past three years,” said Joe Naylor of South Glen Falls. “Any excuse to start drinking and have some fun in ugly sweaters and onesies [is good]. We’re going to try to make it to all the bars and will see how long we can make it there.”
Naylor and his friends said the annual event gives people a chance to celebrate and relax before the actual holidays with family.
“[It’s nice] because everyone is home seeing family,” said Naylor.
“I’m not coming to Saratoga for the fun of it. I’m coming because I’m coming for the holidays and here we are [here today],” added Carvey Iannuzzi of South Florida.
Other guests came to the pub crawl as a way to hang out with family, and even as part of a Christmas gift.
“We came for our first year because we wanted to have this be part of my dad’s Christmas present. We just wanted to spend some quality time with him and it seems like a fun thing to do while home,” said Kelly Cosgriff, a New York City resident, who was at the event with her sister, who lives in Baltimore, along with their father, a Ballston Lake resident.