A bar crawl is a fantastic way to explore multiple venues, try a variety of drinks, and bond with friends. Adding a theme to your bar crawl can take the fun to the next level, creating memorable experiences and unique photo opportunities. Here are some exciting ideas for organizing themed bar crawls.
80s Night
For an 80s Night themed bar crawl, encourage participants to dress in neon colors, leg warmers, big hair, shoulder pads, leather jackets, and aviator sunglasses. Create a playlist of 80s hits to play between bars and check if the bars can accommodate your music requests. Host a best 80s outfit contest with small prizes and karaoke sessions featuring 80s classics. Serve classic 80s cocktails like Piña Coladas, Tequila Sunrises, and Blue Lagoons to keep the vibe going.
Pub Golf Tournament
In a Pub Golf Tournament, participants should dress in golf attire such as polo shirts, argyle sweaters, visors, and golf shoes. Each bar represents a “hole” with a designated drink, and scores are based on the number of sips it takes to finish the drink (1 sip = 1 stroke). The lowest score wins. Create scorecards for participants and include mini challenges or games at each bar, like putting contests or trivia questions. Choose a variety of drinks ranging from easy (light beer) to challenging (strong cocktails) to keep things interesting.
Superhero Bar Crawl
For a Superhero Bar Crawl, have everyone dress as their favorite superhero from comic books, movies, or TV shows. Host a best superhero costume contest, organize superhero trivia at each bar, and set up a photo scavenger hunt with tasks like posing in hero stances or finding “villains.” Serve themed cocktails like Hulk Smash (Midori Sour) or Superman (a mix of blue curaçao and red grenadine) to match the superhero theme.
Around The World
An Around the World bar crawl involves dressing in attire representing different countries or cultures. Each bar represents a different country with themed drinks and snacks. Participants can collect “passports” with stamps or stickers from each country (bar) they visit. Serve sangria for Spain, sake for Japan, margaritas for Mexico, and other culturally appropriate drinks to enhance the experience.
Decades Crawl
A Decades Crawl involves each bar representing a different decade (60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s). Participants should dress according to the decade of the starting bar and change accessories for each new decade. Host dance-offs to decade-specific music and trivia questions about pop culture from each decade. Serve popular drinks from each decade, like Old Fashioneds (60s), Disco Lemonade (70s), and Cosmopolitans (90s), to keep the theme consistent.
Movie Marathon
For a Movie Marathon themed bar crawl, participants should dress as their favorite movie characters. Host movie trivia at each bar and a best costume contest based on movie accuracy. Serve themed cocktails inspired by popular movies, like Butterbeer (Harry Potter) or White Russians (The Big Lebowski), to enhance the cinematic experience.
When organizing a themed bar crawl, it’s important to plan ahead. Choose a route with bars close to each other and contact the bars in advance to see if they can accommodate your group and theme. Set ground rules by establishing a meeting time and place. Use AppyHour’s collection feature to create an itinerary with a schedule and map, including themes, dress codes, and drink specials for each bar.
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