17th Year for the Annual Ferndale Pub Crawl Friday July 26

17th ANNUAL FERNDALE PUB CRAWL is FRIDAY JULY 26, 2013

Thousands expected for annual charity event!

(Ferndale, MI) – This is the original…the big one! One of the most popular and anticipated events each summer in Ferndale is the Annual Ferndale Pub Crawl. Always held the last Friday of July, the walking downtown tour raises money for four local not-for-profit organizations. Registration for the event runs from 6:30 pm to 9 pm at Boogie Fever and from 9 pm until midnight at the ELKS lodge, both on Woodward in downtown Ferndale. Participants must be at least 21 years of age; motorized vehicles are prohibited.

This event began 17 years ago with 36 people walking to the half dozen bars in downtown Ferndale. The event grew every year with more people and more clubs and venues, as the renaissance of Ferndale took place. This year the crowds will visit 16 pubs, clubs and restaurants. All funds raised go to four local tax-deductible charities, including the Ferndale Police Auxiliary, FernCare, Ferndale Community Foundation, and the Michigan AIDS Coalition. The event typically raises about $12,000 annually. Crawlers travel in groups of 15 to 100 people and they spend 20 minutes to a half hour at each venue.

The venues are as diverse as the crowds of residents and visitors who attend, and include upscale martini bars, several dance clubs, sports bars, gay bars, an underground club, restaurants, “shot & a beer” neighborhood pubs, and even an outdoor tiki bar. The participants are diverse in age, race, income and orientation. They buy food and drinks, and they see the shops and stores that abound in vibrant downtown Ferndale. About 30 volunteers help the event run smoothly and safely.

New this year is a “trivia tour” happening simultaneously during the pub crawl. People wishing to participate in the trivia tour will also register at Boogie Fever and get questions and clues about a smaller list of select bars and clubs. They will then try and find the correct locations and get answers to questions about that venue. The winner of a later drawing with the correct answers will win a gift basket of prizes and certificates worth more than $250.

“The Pub Crawl is all about camaraderie and fun, but it also secures funds for our local charities, and it showcases Ferndale's myriad fine businesses,” said pub crawl founder and former mayor Craig Covey.
Top sponsors this year include Rosie O’Grady’s, Absolute Vodka, Dino’s, Soho, Como’s and Boogie Fever. Additional sponsors include Schramm’s Mead, Attorney Howard Shifman, Valentine Distillery, and Relief Choices.
Web site for the event is www.FerndalePubCrawl.org or join its Face book event page: 17th Annual Ferndale Pub Crawl. Tickets are $10 and can only be purchased the night of the event at Boogie Fever from 6:30 until 9 pm or at the Elks Lodge from 9 until midnight. For information or to volunteer contact Monica Mills at 248.545.1435 X 117 or email her at: mmills@michiganaidscoalition.org