By Gene Galin
Pittsboro, NC – Folks will be able to kick off their Mardi Gras celebration a little early this year by coming out for the Pub Crawl in downtown Pittsboro on Saturday from 6 pm to midnight. Ten bars and breweries will offer specialty drinks and menu items during this event.
This is the second such pub crawl to take place in Pittsboro in the last six months.
The initial Octoberfest themed pub crawl was a big success. Event organizer Greg Stafford, states that one of the goals of such events “is to bring people in from the greater Triangle area and get them coming into Pittsboro.”
This Mardi Gras themed event will be the second of multiple events planned for Pittsboro in 2022. Upcoming events include an End of Prohibition celebration on April 9, a Craft Beer Day event on May 14, a Chatham Rabbit Celebration on July 16, and National Beer Day on August 5. And if these prove to be successful, the Pittsboro Octoberfest Pub Crawl is sure to return towards the end of this year.
Greg Stafford hopes to make downtown Pittsboro a nightlife destination. He began developing the SoCo Pittsboro project. It is slated to be a new dining and nightlife destination currently in construction in downtown Pittsboro. The multi-building property is located right next to the historic courthouse off the roundabout. It includes a combination of renovated historic properties, including the original Justice Motor Company building and a former health clinic.
Bird’s eye view of the SoCo Pittsboro project – 1.14.22
SoCo is currently home to The Mod, one of the stops on the pub crawl. Stafford plans to fill SoCo’s projected 30,000 square feet with locally-owned, independent restaurants, bars and businesses. The project spans an entire city block and will include 8,000 square feet of outdoor dining on three patios and a rooftop bar. The goal is to have a mix of restaurants, bars, a brewery/distillery offering both casual and fine dining.
Mardi Gras Drink Specials
Here are a few of the Mardi Gras Pub Crawl drink specials from participating bars.
bmc brewing: $5 pints, including their Dominant/Recessive Kolsch, Belgian Golden Moments Belgian Pale Ale, Cottidae Grapefruit IPA, and the barrel aged Manneken Belgian Stout!
Carolina Brewery: $7 Hurricanes all day plus a Shrimp Boil from 12pm-7pm and Live Music!
The Beagle: $8 Pimms Cups and Andouille Sausage Pigs in a Blanket.
Red Moose: $4 Tubby Thors (Norwegian Pilsner)
City Tap: Serving Gumbo and a New Orleans themed martini with live music starting at 9 from Dmitri Resnik, Chatham county native who had a long New Orleans performance career.
Fair Game Beverage Co:$7 Freakshows and a full Mardi Gras menu.
The Mod: $5 Mardi Ritas (Mardi Gras colored margaritas)
Mardi Gras Shuttle
Based on comments from the Octoberfest Pub Crawl this time organizers will have a bus available to get people around from the various venues participating.
There will be a Green Transit shuttle bus to take you from destination to destination.
The shuttle will pick up and drop off from 5 spots every hour from 6pm until 11pm.
6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm, 10pm: Pickup/drop off @ Carolina Brewery
6:10pm, 7:10pm, 8:10pm. 9:10pm, 10:10pm: Pickup/drop off @ Postal Fish
6:20pm, 7:20pm, 8:20pm. 9:20pm, 10:20pm: Pickup/drop off @ The Mod
6:30pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm. 9:30pm, 10:30pm: Pickup/drop off @ 580 Craft Beer
6:45pm, 7:45pm, 8:45pm. 9:45pm, 10:45pm: Pickup/drop off @ Chatham Beverage District (Fair Game & bmc brewing)
The bus may be off a few minutes depending on traffic and Mardi gras revelers!