On Saturday, April 29, 2017 from 4:00-9:00pm, the Coronado Junior Woman’s Club, whose mission is “to unite together women who are dedicated to enhancing the spirit of Coronado through educational, civic and philanthropic services,” presented the first ever Crown City Crawl. Advertised as “Crawling for a Cause”, tickets, which could be purchased online in advance or in person on the day of the event, ranged in price from $25-$35 depending on when they were purchased.
Crawlers were each provided a commemorative koozie, two drink tickets, and snacks. Even though the event was presented by the Coronado Junior Woman’s Club, it was open to all genders and guests who were 21 years of age or older.
Along with some of my favorite ladies in town, I attended the inaugural Crown City Crawl. It’s been a few days, but I still find myself involved in the world’s longest group text as we continue to laugh about how much fun we had “crawling” that night!
Four Coronado venues, all within close proximity to one another, were part of the Crown City Crawl. Our first stop, where we could check-in or purchase tickets if we hadn’t already done so, was Miguel’s. We were tucked back into a beautiful courtyard past El Cordova Hotel’s pool, and it was the perfect spot to start the crawl because it was such an intimate setting, surrounded by brightly colored Spanish tiles and beautiful plants and flowers.
Everyone was given a festive, green bracelet to identify who was part of the Crown City Crawl as well as a bar bingo card. What a great way to bring everyone together! A simple game of bar bingo sparked instant conversations among strangers, making everyone laugh as we watched people compete to be the first ones to fill up their cards with emerald green stickers.
At Miguel’s we were given the choice of either a margarita or a beer. Fresh chips and salsa, as well as one of my favorite foods in the world, Miguel’s white sauce, were also provided. Yummy!
As I sipped my Corona, I noticed that one of the spots on the bar bingo card was “Find Someone in a Yellow Shirt”. I obviously had no idea that would be on the card when I got dressed that day, but, as the only person participating in the crawl wearing a yellow shirt, I quickly found myself making friends with my fellow crawlers!
It was hysterical watching people compete as they tried to earn stickers on their bingo cards. It’s not too often you witness people doing yoga in a bar or trying to dip a chip in white sauce without using their hands, but everyone was clearly on a mission! Before she knew it, the CJWC member passing out the bar bingo stickers was suddenly the most sought out person in the courtyard!
The CJWC president, Sara Stillman, took some time out from posing for pictures (another box on the bar bingo cards) to share her thoughts about the inaugural event her club was presenting. “The number of people who have responded by coming out to this event has been phenomenal! The beauty of the organization we have with the Coronado Junior Woman’s Club is that all the proceeds are going to a good cause! We raise money for the women and children of Coronado and the neighboring communities, and it’s just so awesome to see the town come out like this in full force to enjoy a drink with the club, but also to know they’re putting their money to a good cause.” Sara said the organization’s goal was to sell at least 100 tickets, and based on the turnout, it sure looks like they met that or at least came close.
Besides Sara, a lot of other members of the CJWC were on hand helping out as they checked people in, sold raffle tickets, and assisted with bar bingo. Sara commented, “Our club is in full force making sure everyone gets to where they need to be throughout the night, and making sure everyone has a good time. I love how many of us are here to support the cause!”
Sara continued, saying, “We are super appreciative that when we put on events like this, the town always responds, and is always there to help us raise money. We just recently donated $5,000 to the Coronado Schools Foundation. We are in the process of choosing our beneficiaries for our Taste of Coronado this fall. It’s just nice to know that we have this constant, on-going support in Coronado, and that when we do a fundraiser like this, we have the turnout we need to make it a success.”
The second stop of the Crown City Crawl was across the street at Tavern. Crawlers weren’t given a drink ticket at Tavern, but were instead offered extended happy hour prices, three drink/appetizer specials. The atmosphere at Tavern was different than at Miguel’s because at Tavern there didn’t seem to be one dedicated spot for participants of the Crown City Crawl to gather. Some of us stood near the bar while others grabbed tables, both inside and outside.
Because this was the first year of the Crown City Crawl, it was understandable that there were some kinks along the way. It didn’t feel like Tavern was expecting as many of us to descend upon their bar all at once, and they didn’t seem to have enough bartenders on hand to adequately serve people in a timely fashion.
But all was not lost because as people stood in line to buy drinks for themselves and their friends, their friends had spare time to buy some raffle tickets! All proceeds from the raffle tickets also went to the CJWC’s fundraising efforts. Prizes were generously donated by several businesses in the Coronado community.
Waiting at the bar also gave Crown City Crawlers time to check out the breathalyzer located at the far left end of the bar, closest to the bathrooms. It’s nice seeing that Tavern offers a feature that promotes making safe choices after consuming alcohol. For just four quarters, patrons can “blow before you go” to find out their blood alcohol content. After inserting the correct change, a fresh straw is dispensed from the bottom of the machine.
After Tavern, the crowd of Crown City Crawlers made their way back across the street to McP’s Irish Pub. At McP’s everyone was given a complimentary beer and appetizers, consisting of wings, fresh veggies, and potato skins. Pizza was also provided by High Tide Bottle Shop & Kitchen.
It was at McP’s where raffle ticket numbers started being called, and the excitement grew as people ran up to claim their prizes. One of my friends won a gift card to Lobster West, which even came with a foam lobster claw. Clearly she became a huge hit with the crowd!
People continued trying to earn stickers for their bar bingo cards, and the competition really heated up between my friends and another fellow crawler named Richard. Each time a new sticker was added to their bingo cards, they’d shout out each other’s names, holding their cards high in the air to make the “enemy” jealous. It was all in good fun, of course, and the way they raced to be the first to complete their bingo cards made everyone laugh.
As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Costa Azul marked the fourth and final stop of the Crown City Crawl. At Costa Azul, patrons participating in the Crown City Crawl were offered drink specials. Costa Azul, which featured live music that night, had tables reserved for the Crown City Crawl participants. Other patrons who arrived at Costa Azul all wanted to know why we were wearing green bracelets, and seemed bummed to have missed out on the inaugural crawl.
As the remainder of the raffle prizes were announced, the first person to finish her bar bingo card, my friend Kelly, won a prize (and bragging rights). In all good fun, she ran over to her new friend Richard so she could gloat. A little while later, Richard also finished his card, and my group of friends cheered for him. The friendly rivalry contributed to the evening’s success for sure. Personally, I loved how a simple game brought everyone together, turning strangers into friends, at least for the evening.
Overall, the inaugural Crown City Crawl was an incredible event. It’s not often you can say that drinking actually helps women and children, but thanks to the Coronado Junior Woman’s Club, everyone felt like they were contributing to an organization that does great things for our community.
I liked how the event started in the late afternoon, giving me a chance to do other things with my Saturday afternoon beforehand, and I also liked how it technically ended at 9:00. (I’m at the age now where I cherish going to sleep at a reasonable time, and by 9:30 I was safely tucked into bed.) Overall, the crowd was easy-going, neither rowdy nor obnoxious; it was more of a classy group, where no one appeared to be on a quest to become super intoxicated or wake up on Sunday morning with a hangover. Thank you, Coronado Junior Woman’s Club! I’m already looking forward to your next Crown City Crawl! Cheers!
