Friday, the sixth biannual bar crawl will bring countless Buffalonians to Chippewa Street, known for its plethora of clubs and bars. From 8 p.m. until 3 a.m., $10 will give participants access to over 20 different venues without an additional cover charge. Bars will also feature $2 to $3 drink specials.
The registration fee will also provide the estimated 4,000 participants with a beer stein and a scorecard to keep track of what bars they enter. Everyone who makes it to all 20 bars will receive a free t-shirt.
Although everyone is encouraged to try some of the drinks offered, drinking is optional and is not required to obtain the free shirt. People simply have to enter the bar in order to get scorecards stamped.
Peter Altholz, UB alumnus and CEO of Best of Buffalo Promotions, accredits his years at UB as an important tool in preparing him to plan events like the bar crawl.
"My experience at UB allowed me to cultivate the event production and promotional skills that I learned in high school and take it to the next level," Altholz said. "Without UB, I would have never even stepped foot in Buffalo, and thanks to my experiences at the school, my eyes were opened to opportunity that lies in this city."
The event allows bar crawlers to experience a wide variety of venues.
For instance, Buckin' Buffalo Saloon, one of the lesser-known participating bars, is home to Western New York's take on the mechanical bull – "the mechanical buffalo."
Some of the more popular venues include Bottoms Up, famous for its eight different half-gallon fishbowls, and Social, a new venue with a Vegas vibe.
"The most fun aspect of the event is the challenge. Can you make it to all 20 bars in one night? It's fun to be doing it alongside thousands of other people," Altholz said. "It creates a cool social dynamic. Everyone is walking around with their beer steins and scorecards; it's like everyone's in it together."
In addition to drink specials, the Bar Crawl will be providing a taxi service to combat drunk driving. Zoladz Limousine will be offering limo transportation both to and from the crawl. Round trip transportation is $19 per person for those who can get a group of at least eight people together.
Many students from UB and surrounding Buffalo colleges attend the fall and spring events with the hopes to visit every participating bar. It gives students a chance to relax and steer their focus away from schoolwork for one night.
"I've been attending the bar crawls every year and it's always a good time. Everyone's drunk and falling all over the place; it's definitely interesting," said Ryan Griffin, a senior digital media major.
This year, the first 3,000 bar crawlers will receive a coupon book featuring 20 offers from businesses such as tanning salons and bars.
According to the website, participants should be ready for rain or shine. The event will take place no matter what the unpredictable Buffalo weather may bring.
Registration will begin at 8 p.m. at the Buffalo Bar Crawl tents located between Soho and SubZero.
As an alternative to waiting in line, people can also purchase tickets online and receive special VIP "skip-the-line" privileges. These VIP tickets will only be available to the first 1,000 buyers.
Photo: Courtesy of UB Blueprint
