The entirely underground, extremely media-shy Santarchy pub crawl – or SantaCon as it is being called now – will sprawl throughout Fremont on Saturday, December 18, starting at Noon at the Fremont Troll.
With hundreds – even a thousand – people dressed as Santa, elves or Mrs. Claus, the gathering should be visually fascinating. However, with all of these folks (the official Facebook page had 317 R.S.V.P.s on Friday, December 18, and 2,200 still unreplied) out drinking and carousing, it can get to be a chaotic swarm of red and white felt staggering throughout the Center of the Universe.
The official itinerary has the hoard visiting Dad Watson’s, Dubliner, Red Door, Brouwer’s, Norm’s, Nectar, Sinners & Saints, and the George & Dragon Pub. It also lists drink specials at The Copper Cart in Belltown – so Santa may not stay in Fremont the whole night.
It is however a great opportunity to dig out that Santa suit, or don the red hat, and join the pack. Or, check the itinerary, and make alternate plans accordingly. For more information on the rules of Santarchy (they do not impede security or children) or the philosophy behind it, check the Facebook page for Seattle’s gathering or the webpage that contains the history of this 17-year-old tradition.