Santa Claus to Bar Hop in Encinitas

If you see dozens of Santa Clauses bar hopping down Coast Highway this month, don’t panic — you’re not loosing it, you’re just witnessing the newest pub crawl to hit Encinitas. 

On Sunday, Dec. 18, about 30 locals will dress up as Old Saint Nick and take to the streets of downtown Encinitas for the pub crawl, appropriately named Santa Cause because it benefits a worthy local cause, the .

“The organizers of this event gain nothing from it, expect a good excuse to go out in public dressed as Santa Claus or Mrs. Claus,” joked Monika Stout, who spearheaded the event with help from longtime friends Martha Schutte and Marianne D’Amico, owner of . The trio modeled the event after some of the bigger Santa-inspired pub crawls across the nation — like one in Reno that draws more than 3,000 Kris Kringle impersonators. “I think this has the potential to really catch on in Encinitas. At first I think people here may be a little hesitant, but after they see how much fun it is, I think they’ll want to join in every year.”

The headcount for this pub crawl is capped at about 30 and right now, there are about 15 signed up. For $25, you can reserve your spot in the Dec. 18 pub crawl, which includes a commemorative Santa Cause t-shirt, and stops at , , Union Kitchen and Tap, and — with complimentary snacks and raffle drawings along the way.

“We’d especially like to thank the businesses that were good sports about this because being asked to host 30 Santa Clauses is an odd request.” 

It’s also an odd sight, and if you’d like to behold it, you can catch the group working its way down Coast Highway from 2 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 18. Stout said they’ll likely be selling mistletoe to bar patrons in an effort to raise more money for the . The goal is to raise at least $1,000, which will be used to buy supplies for the children’s art program.

“This pub crawl is really about having fun and is a great way to bring home the holiday spirit. We invite everyone to come join us.”

If you’d like to join the pub crawl, you can mail a check to the Boys and Girls Club of San Dieguito at 1615 Orange Blossom Way. Include the names of everyone in your party, as well as your email for confirmation and event details. Donations for raffle prizes are also being accepted, so if you’d like to contribute to that effort, you can call Stout at 760.803.0869. For more information about the event, please see the

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