December 28, 2024
Downers Grove

History on Tap pub crawl brewing in Downers Grove

By Samantha Malone

DOWNERS GROVE – Serving up history as quickly as beers, the Downers Grove Historical Society is hosting History on Tap, a bar crawl to reach young adults.

The historical society hosts several events throughout the year, but this will be the inaugural History on Tap event, said Rich Kulovany, a member of the society. Already seeing a good turnout in registration, the group hopes to make it an annual event, he said.

“It’s exciting that we’re letting people learn about some of the history behind these venues in such a fun way,” said Kulovany, who also serves as a Downers Grove commissioner.

The event requires registration and spots are filling up fast as the event is capped at 200 attendees, said Greg Elisha, director of the historical society. Interested parties can register online at the Downers Grove Historical Society website for $35.

The bar crawl will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. Nov. 14 and includes stops at four Downers Grove bars – Emmett’s Brewing Co., Ballydoyle Irish Pub & Restaurant, Cellar Door and Pierce Tavern. There will be an after-party for the last hour hosted at Tivoli Bowl. Registration includes one beer, wine or soft drink at each location, as well as food and a prize drawing at the after-party.

“There’s a rich history in Downers Grove that not many people know about and we want to get them excited about it,” Elisha said. “We want them to know about the cool things that used to be in some of the buildings that still house popular things.”

Attendees will be given a card at the start of the crawl and will be asked to answer a series of questions along the way about the bars in which they are stopping. Elisha said the answers will be there for attendees to find and those who complete the card will be entered into a drawing.

“I can’t really give a sneak peek at the questions,” Elisha said, laughing. “But I can say we’re excited about it all and we were interested in attracting a younger crowd. We’re going to see if this works and go from there.”