Downtown Brew Crawl is a wonderful time to hang out with good friends and meet new people

Photo by Marty Cheek
Jon Berkland, left, and John Phelan pour their homemade beer at a previous Brew Crawl.

By David Dindak

Photo by Marty Cheek
Bubble’s new owner David Dindak in the ‘vault’ of the downtown wine bar.

What are you doing Saturday, Sept. 7? Why not put the honey-do list in the sock drawer and come downtown for a fun-filled afternoon brew crawling.  The Morgan Hill Downtown Association will showcase retail shops, restaurants, and other downtown businesses paired with a plethora of microbreweries.

This year we have a lineup of 21 stops. You’ll get a taste of two beer/cider brews at each. As you tickle your palate with terrific beer and cider, there’s an opportunity to spend time in the many shops, eateries and businesses that will be happy to see you.

For special to-go treats, Betto’s Bistro is offering a Brew Crawl Appetizer Box with jalapeño poppers, mozzarella cheese sticks, zucchini sticks, onion rings and french fries for $7. Bubbles will have choices of sausage sandwiches for $10 as well as charcuterie & cheese and an all-cheese selection for $7 each.

While enjoying a sunny afternoon tasting in our lively downtown, you’ll be able to kick up your heals to our music line up. This year local musicians will be serenading at four different locations. Soloist Jeff Smith singing pop, folk and rock will be in Rosy’s Lanai. Tony Johns & The Street Lucy Project cats will be playing at Kelly’s Brewing Company bringing rock, R&B, jazz and soul to the mix. Larry Boushey is at Sinaloa Café with his magic guitars providing inspirational instrumentals. Bubbles is hosting Levi J with his selection of pop, rock and alternative tones

And how about some games to start out the day? You could leave the kids at gramma’s, but if she’s busy, bring ‘em along. We’ll have plenty to keep you and the kiddos busy on Third Street with Jenga, Giant Plinko, Corn Hole and Lawn Bowling.

Ticket prices are $40 each in advance and $45 the day of event.  Pre-sale tickets will be available at BookSmart, 421 Vineyard Town Center; Bubbles, 17105 Monterey Road; Kelly’s Brewing Company, 70 E. Fourth St.; and Running Shop & Hops, 17500 Depot St., #100.  They may also be found online through Eventbrite.

Check-in will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., om the Third Street Plaza. There you’ll be given an official commemorative glass and the necessary info for your crawl.  Make sure you bring ID.

This is a wonderful time to hang out with good friends and meet new people, so spread out and shake some hands, too. You likely may have never even heard of a lot of these breweries. Look at the list of stops and get an idea of those you don’t want to miss. Then put them in order based on locations throughout town.

Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint, so pace yourself. Spend time chatting with the men and women behind the pint. Moreover, we’re a very friendly, small community and there’s always a special feeling walking into a place where people know your name. So, introduce yourself to the business owners. Spend some time and take a look around their shops, and next time you see them in town you’ll have that special connection.

Dave Dindak is the co-owner of Bubbles Wine Bar & Bistro and a member of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association Board of Directors.