Ghouls, goblins and hippies crowded taverns and stores in downtown Gilroy for the annual Halloween Beer Crawl on Saturday, Oct. 20.
The event, presented by the Downtown Business Association, saw hundreds of over-21 patrons who donned costumes and enjoyed craft beers while shopping at participating businesses.
Association president Gary Walton said between 500 and 600 people attended—many in costume.
“This year we had 25 breweries located in 25 different businesses in downtown, who each paid a fee to participate,” said Walton. He estimated the event was a financial as well as marketing success.
“This year at all of our events, we heard from a lot of new residents who discovered stores and restaurants that they didn’t even know existed,” he said. “It is because of events like this that we expose all the great merchants and business owners to the greater community and keep downtown a viable destination.”
This was the fifth event of this kind designed to get folks into the spooky spirit just before Halloween and also featured the first-ever home brew sampling contest.
The event concluded with an after-party on Fifth Street.
“The reason we do events like this is to bring the community together where they can enjoy time with friends, family and even meet new friends,” Walton said. “In this age of the internet, having face-to-face contact and connecting people to place is beneficial to the community and helps develop a strong sense of community pride.”
Walton pointed out the importance of showcasing the downtown and letting people know about Gilroy’s historical buildings and wide variety of local businesses.
“It is the job of the Gilroy Downtown Business Association to showcase these elements and to drive business to the downtown to keep it an enjoyable place to shop, play and live,” Walton said.
