Clown Pub Crawl: wacky fun for a good cause

You may have felt like a clown after a night at the local bar.

Now's your chance to get all clowned up before the first drink is served. Just sign up for Chicago’s June 6 Clown for Chi-Town Pub Crawl, a charity event that will benefit The Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Participants suit up in clown gear — bad hair, Joan Crawford lipstick, mismatched socks, floppy shoes and optional red nose  — and make their way from bar to bar, downing drinks and spreading good cheer. Crawlers need to buy a $15 ticket and are asked to bring along canned food items for donation.

The Clown Crawl rides on the tattered coattails of events such as Wollongong, Australia’s Santa Claus Crawl, a long-standing event to collect toys for Children, or Boston’s Santa Claus Run where white-bearded, red-suit clad participants dash from  bar to bar.  

Tickets can be purchased at the Crawl website, or at the launching bar, Goose Island Brew Pub, 3535 N. Clark Street, in Wrigleyville. Clowns can drink at a discount, with most of the participating bars serving $3 domestic drafts and $3 well drinks, kamikaze shots and pina party shots. The action begins at 2 p.m. and ends with a headache at 8 p.m.

If you’re visiting Chicago, a crawl is a great way to meet the locals and see the pub side of Wrigleyville, home of Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs. Participating bars include Goose Island, Vines on Clark, the Cubby Bear, Red Ivy, Sluggers and John Barleycorn.

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