Our Daily Show Interview! SantaCon Set For Saturday!
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GRAFTON - Grafton will host its SantaCon Pub Crawl this weekend, complete with hundreds of attendees in Santa-themed costumes.
From 3–11 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, community members can enjoy the pub crawl throughout the City of Grafton. The event is completely free and there is no set schedule. People are encouraged to dress up, enjoy themselves, and make their way to The Loading Dock for a photo at 6 p.m.
“How do you not smile when you walk into a bar full of Santas?” said Allison Rohan, owner of Tara Point Inn and one of the SantaCon organizers. “This is our sixth year for SantaCon, and it’s basically just a pub crawl to enjoy Christmas, enjoy the season.”
Most of Grafton’s bars will have drink specials, contests and bands playing throughout the day. Last year, the pub crawl welcomed over 600 attendees.
A lot of people choose to dress in Santa or Mrs. Claus costumes, while others go as elves or the Grinch. All Christmas characters are welcome.
Dan Ebbing, president of Grafton’s Chamber of Commerce, believes the event is a fun way to relax during the holiday season. He encourages people to visit Grafton year-round, but he noted that the city will have a busy, fun couple of weeks with their SantaCon Pub Crawl on Dec. 14 and the Winter Lights Christmas Parade on Dec. 21, 2024.
“What better time to come to Grafton?” he said. “Take a breath and come have fun…Just sit back and enjoy the season.”
Ebbing and Rohan noted that the SantaCon Pub Crawl is a chance for people to celebrate Christmas with the Grafton community. They expressed their excitement to see so many people engaging with the city.
“There are great things happening in Grafton,” Ebbing said. “We’re seeing the momentum in Grafton. People are coming to Grafton.”
Rohan added that her business, Tara Point Inn, offers a winter special where people can book two nights for the price of one on Sunday through Thursday, starting in December and running through April. This winter special is a draw for many people who choose to stay in Grafton for events like the pub crawl.
Organizers hope to welcome over a thousand people to the crawl this year. They encourage everyone to dress up and stop by The Loading Dock at 6 p.m. on Saturday for the photo. They can’t wait to see how many people come out and have a good time to kick off the holiday season.
“When you walk into, say, the Bloody Bucket, it’s just packed with Santa Clauses,” Rohan added. “They’re everywhere. Walking down the street, it’s just fun. You can’t help but smile.”
For more information about the SantaCon Pub Crawl, visit the official Facebook event page. Check out the Enjoy Grafton Facebook page or the official Grafton Chamber of Commerce website at GraftonILChamber.com to learn more about Grafton’s businesses and upcoming events.
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