 "Photo: Josh O'Bright")
An estimated 2,000 people attended the controversial Oshkosh Pub Crawl on Saturday, making it the largest one yet.
This is a significant jump from the last Pub Crawl, which only brought in about 850 people, according to Robert Bacon, creator of www.oshkoshpubcrawl.com.
“I was very surprised at the amount of people that took part in it,” Bacon said.
Bacon said all he does is create the Web site and a Facebook page; otherwise all advertising is done by word of mouth.
Fourteen bars, including Peabody’s, Screwballs and O’Brians, participated in the Pub Crawl.
All of the bars offered deals on drinks, and some had special events such as live music or all-you-can-eat buffets.
People participating in the event sign up with others and create teams. The teams then have team T-shirts and participate in a scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt includes such tasks as taking pictures of a teammate doing belly shots.
Police took precautions to make sure the event stayed under control. During the event, 12 police officers patrolled Main Street on foot.
According to police reports, 28 “quality of life” citations were issued during the crawl. This includes open intoxicants, urinating in public and disorderly conduct. A 21-year-old Sheboygan man was taken to Theda Clark Hospital intensive care after a fight broke out.
Bacon insists these reports are not any worse than a normal Saturday night in Oshkosh and don’t directly reflect the Pub Crawl.
“Every weekend there are alcohol related fights,” Bacon said. “This weekend was no different.”
Bacon also mentioned that more than one citation can be given to a single person, so it doesn’t mean 28 people were given citations. He added that even if each citation went to a different person, it would only amount to about 1 percent of the people who attended.
“Everyone who participates is an adult and are responsible for their own actions,” Bacon said.
Bacon said the crawl is a positive thing because it brings much needed cash to downtown businesses.
Recently, a city ordinance was passed that may affect future Pub Crawls. The ordinance deals with special events around the city.
“The Pub Crawl qualifies as a special event,” city attorney Lynn Lorenson said.
According to the ordinance, a special event is an event with “over 250 people at any one time,” and where “alcohol, beverages, food and/or merchandise will be sold.”
The ordinance requires that if an event falls into this category, they need to get a permit and have it approved. Lorenson said that the ordinance was mainly developed so that the city had a better grasp on what was going on and were able to control large events more efficiently.
Failure to get a special event permit may result in a fine of $75 up to $500 plus court costs.
Lorenson said though it applies, it shouldn’t really affect the Pub Crawl very much.
“It may a difference in terms of evaluating (the Pub Crawl) on what city services might be needed,” she said.
Though the ordinance was recently passed, Lorenson explained that it has been in the works for a while and wasn’t in direct relation to the recent Pub Crawl.
“It’s been over a year since we’ve been working on it,” Lorenson said.
She added that other, larger events that take place in Oshkosh, such as Lifest, Country USA and Sawdust Days will also be affected. The ordinance will not take effect until Jan 1, 2011.
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