Are you tired of not having a Santa Pub Crawl in the summer? If so, you’re not alone. The Santa crawl’s founder and fearless leader, Matty Goedert, has heard requests from many for a similar summer event.
And the Superhero Pub Crawl, on July 11, is his answer. The format is largely the same, with at least 28 downtown bars welcoming inebriated crowds dressed in superhero costumes. The event is free, specials are common but not prescribed, and the participating businesses make a charitable donation.
Even in this less-than-stellar economy, Goedert, a 36-year-old tax attorney and former Renoite who lives in San Francisco, thinks people will be open to a big crawl.
"People like to go out and let off their stress," he said. "And right now, there’s a lot of stress."
Superheroes to the rescue
When the idea of a summer crawl was being discussed, other themes were considered but never a holiday rehash.
"I didn’t want people to do a Santa crawl during the summer," Goedert said. "That’s lame."
We imagine it’d be ridiculously hot, too.
Clowns were also suggested, but we agree with Goedert on that one — "Clowns are totally scary … they don’t provide any kind of joy."
Superheroes were settled on for a couple reasons.
"What makes the Santa crawl fun? It’s the ability to be something that’s bigger than you," Goedert said. "You can put a mask on and be that entity for the night."
And the costume can be as easy or complex as desired, from an authentic Iron Man replica to a towel clasped with a safety pin, and outfits can be heroic or villainous.
Bigger than ever?
The Superhero Pub Crawl is actually in its third year, but with printed maps and much more promotion, Goedert expects this to be the year it breaks into the bar-crawling mainstream.
In 2007, Goedert just asked some friends to go drinking, and about 40 costumed crawlers gallivanted around downtown Reno.
Last year, there were about 200 people, and they didn’t let most bars know about the plan in advance.
This year, there are maps with all the stops, fliers splashed across town in advance, and support from local crawl heavyweights like Amendment 21, whose owner, Mike Malody, is the original force behind the monthly Reno Beer Crawl.
While Goedert helps coordinate from the Bay, Mel Brewer, a childhood friend and DJ at 105.7 KOZZ, has been working on things locally by lining up all the bars.
They’re putting in extra effort because Art Mann, former host of E! TV show "Wild On," will be here. He now hosts "Art Mann Presents" on HDNet and will dedicate an entire episode to the crawl. He also was at the 2007 Santa crawl, when more than 1,000 people participated.
Goedert said that if the turnout for this crawl approaches Santa ’07, he’ll consider it a success.
Crawling supports charity
The chosen cause for this crawl is the Washoe County School District Canine Drug Task Force (WCSDCDTF!). Each bar donates a flat amount in advance of the crawl. The 2008 Santa crawl donated $7,250 to the Hashimoto Widow's and Orphan's fund for fallen police officers' families.
"The charity elements started because I didn’t want to put in all this effort just for the bars," Goedert said.
The bars on the map are the ones who want superheroes and villains to show up, and they've expressed that by plunking down cash for a good cause.
But Goedert said the Santa crawl is at a point where some bars refuse to participate financially but still want the business it brings in. He believes that if people patronize businesses during the crawl that try that tactic, it will become difficult to raise enough to make the effort worthwhile.
No arch for heroes
One big difference from the Santa crawl is the ending. While the afterparty is still at 210 North, there is no mass gathering under the arch for pictures.
The tradition goes back to the first year of the Santa crawl, but as the event grew, it became one of the biggest hassles. As attendance increased, Virginia Street would inevitably be blocked, so now a permit must be purchased to close the road and pay for extra police. Skipping the arch saves at least $3,000.
Goedert got the idea for a Santa crawl in 2001 while on the way to work when he saw a couple guys run into a bar in Santa suits.
At the time, he didn’t think he’d be able to make it to Reno for Christmas with his family, but his boss gave him the OK with just four days to spare, and he had his secretary scrounge up some costumes. After persuading some friends to wear the Santa suits to bars, the rest is yuletide history.
The Superhero Pub Crawl begins at 7:30 p.m. July 11. Start at either Amendment 21 or Imperial. The only cost is whatever you choose to drink. Earlier in the day, Amendment 21 hosts a comics and sci-fi festival.
