St. Paddy's Pub Crawl promises music, mayhem and mischief on Pensacola Beach

Back in 1987, John Patrick ‘Paddy’ Blake owned a popular Pensacola Beach restaurant called Paddy O’Leary’s Irish Pub. With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, he wondered what would happen if he invited everyone to ‘Go Irish On The Island’ and celebrate. Would people come dressed in their Irish best? And how many people would show up?

“That was 37 years ago, and it’s still a beach tradition today,” Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Meg Peltier said. “But unfortunately, he passed away.”

One thing was certain − the crawl had to continue. But what would future Pensacola Beach St. Paddy’s Day Pub Crawls look like, and who would rise to the challenge of filling such big shoes and beer mugs?

Enter, the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce.

“So they asked us if we’d be willing to take on the pub crawl and continue the tradition,” Peltier said. “The only requirement was they asked us to make a donation to Covenant Hospice, but now it’s Covenant Care. Because that was the end of life care that Paddy had received. So we’ve made that agreement and we’ve done that ever since.”

A portion of proceeds from this year’s T-shirt sales will account for this year’s donation to Covenant Care.

“Each year we have a special shirt the chamber puts out every year for the pub crawl,” Peltier said. “It’s $20, and it has a big shamrock on the back with all the participating places on it. Those will be available about two weeks in advance, and all the locations will also have these for sale at various sites.”

For those who have yet to participate at a St. Paddy’s Day Pub Crawl on March 17, here’s what you can expect.

Head over to Crabs On the Beach at 9 a.m. The restaurant will be preparing an Irish breakfast paired with a drink for $10 to start your morning right. Shortly after, participants will break into groups to begin their alcohol fueled tour of the beach.

“Some years, we’ve had 10 or 12 participating bars and restaurants, and in recent years we’ve had more,” Peltier said. “So we’re very excited because this year, we have 17.”

These stops will last roughly around 30 to 45 minutes, allowing everyone enough time to get their fill.

“You literally go from one place to the next, and you get a cocktail and drink, then you go to the next place,” Peltier said. “And the next place, to the next place, to the next place.”

And while it might sound tempting to rush through all 17 stops in record time, remember. It’s called a crawl for a reason. That’s why there will be speed bumps in the form of food along the way to help you pace yourself.

“The places that we’ll hit around lunchtime will offer a quick bite and specials during the crawl,” Simpson said. “That’s why the Irish Breakfast is always so well received at Crabs, because all of these people are going to be drinking all day! So we have breakfast and lunch. We gotta keep the crawl moving, and fill up their bellies.”

But there’s more fun to be had than just indulging in food and drink alone.

“Green bikini contest,” Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Membership Services Jessica Simpson added. “And at Paddy O’Leary’s, they will be doing a St. Patrick’s Day Mass. Since it’s on Sunday, that worked out really well. It won’t be a full length one, and that starts at 9 as well.”

Maps showing each stop will also be provided for participants to follow along, but if you prefer paperless, no problem. There’s now an app for that. New for 2024, the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce is introducing an app specific to the Pub Crawl.

“You’ll be able to digitally check in at each of these locations, and there’s GPS inside the app,” Simpson said. “You can’t check in to Casino Beach Bar and Grille if you’re standing at Shaggy’s. So you have to go to each location.”

The app is now available for download at the Apple Store and the Google Play Store, though the exact map won’t be available to view until the day of the event. Simply type “Pensacola Beach Pub Crawl” and download. Once you’ve downloaded the app, you’ll be able to register.

Participants can choose between two trails, the Irish Hike or the Wild Atlantic Way. No matter which path you take, both of them end at the Sandshaker.

“The intent of that is to give relief to restaurants so they can serve different groups at different times throughout the day,” Simpson said. “But also, with each stop being 30 to 45 minutes and staying at the same spot, it may disturb other diners. So we want to do this in a timely manner.”

Participants that make it to the Sandshaker will be rewarded with a swag bag filled with koozies, pens, and other goodies from their non-restaurant partners.

“It’ll definitely be at the end,” Simpson said. “It won’t be at the beginning!”

Both Simpson and Peltier admitted that the COVID19 pandemic changed a lot in how to approach event planning, but the most positive change of all involves collaboration. “It puts a spotlight on our businesses and our partners,” Peltier said. “Previously, Pensacola and Pensacola Beach were seen as two separate entities, but now we benefit from each other, rather than compete with each other, and that’s a wonderful positive change that’ll move our communities forward.”

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Beach St. Paddy's Day Pub Crawl 2024 features food and drink