Northeastern Pennsylvania’s food and drink scene is about to explode thanks to a new Facebook page centered around uniting people who like to drink and support local bars.
Susan Groff, from Clarks Summit, launched the NEPA Pub Crawls page in November, and the first two events, both themed around ugly holiday sweaters, are slated for Dec. 4 in Scranton, and Dec. 11 in Wilkes-Barre.
“I think a pub crawl gives people something to get excited about,” Groff said. “Especially in the winter. It’s hard to get people to want to go out in the winter months. Having a themed pub crawl helps get people out, have fun, and create a local bond with the community and businesses.”
David Morrison, from Long Pond, will attend the crawl in Scranton, where he works in auto sales. He believes the new social media page will fill a void in the region’s nightlife scene.
“I used to live in New York City,” Morrison said. “There were a lot of bar crawls, like SantaCon, that would bring strangers together to be part of something fun and allow people to meet new people. This area doesn’t have anything like that. If you do see a pub crawl out in Scranton, it’s usually a group of friends or classmates.”
Groff said some people may not have experienced a pub crawl because they have a difficult time getting enough people together. On NEPA Pub Crawls, individuals and small groups can learn about upcoming barhopping ventures of which to be a part, she said.
Lindsay Posner, from Wilkes-Barre, said her social circle has run small since graduating from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in 2009.
“I hang out with a few friends from work and my boyfriend’s buddies,” she said. “There’s like five or six of us that hang out regularly, but that’s hardly a bar crawl. Knowing we can go out and join other people and meet new people is pretty cool. When you get older, you hang out with less people, but that doesn’t mean you want to have less fun.”
Morrison said NEPA is the perfect stomping ground for pub crawlers.
“This area has a lot of bars in a confined area,” he said. “You don’t have to rely on a cab to get from one bar to the next. There’s a lot of bars within walking distance from each other.”
Scranton’s pub crawl will start at 6 p.m. at Kildare’s Irish Pub. The crawl will make additional stops at Cooper’s, Ale Mary’s and Backyard Ale House.
Wilkes-Barre’s ugly sweater crawl kicks off at 7 p.m. at Bottlenecks. Additional stops will be made at Franklin’s, Avanti’s, Senunas’ Bar & Grill and Stir.
There is no charge to join the pub crawls.
Groff said she hopes the online community can evolve into a helping hand for people who are interested in assistance at organizing a pub crawl for their organization.
“In the future, we’d like to work with local non-profits to raise money for charity,” Groff said. “It’s always great to help others when you have a group of people together.”
