Clovis Craft Beer Crawl kicks off this year’s Old Town events

Homebrewers of Central Valley Worthogs: (left front) Lisa Jones, (left back) Derek Nix, (middle) Kayla Smith, (right) Greg Hardin (Photo Samantha Golden, Clovis Roundup)

March 21, 2024 – Craft Beer Crawl goers dressed in some of their best green outfits for St. Patricks Day while they wandered around Old Town Clovis in the sunshine and sampled from some of the best local breweries around.

B.O.O.T. President and event organizer Heather Frantzich says that this is the third year for the Craft Beer Crawl in Clovis, and it’s only gotten better each year.

With 18 participating storefronts, restaurants, and other businesses in old town hosting, and tons of local representation, Frantzich says, “It’s gone so smoothly, with better attendance than we’ve ever had.”

The event is sponsored every year by Papa’s Place, the popular bar and restaurant in the back corner of the Dewitt building.

Manager Michelle Brown says the event is great exposure, because of how tucked away the restaurant is from the street.

Papa’s Place hosts Ballast Point Brewing, out of San Diego, every year for the Craft Beer Crawl.

Fresno favorites Tioga-Sequioa and Full Circle were serving some of their popular beers, Clovis brewers Summer Fox, Incinerati, 559, Burning Sun, and Crow and Wolf showed off their stuff.

Even breweries from outside the two cities, and California-based canned cocktails brands, were in attendance.

The Central Valley Worthogs homebrew club set up their own yard party off the beaten path, at Illuminate Hair Studio on Woodworth Avenue, and they had a competitive crowd lining up to taste.

From a classic Irish red ale, to a fanciful key lime brew, the Worthogs brought 10 unique taps to delight the crowd. “We like to participate,” says Pearl Shaeffer, club president, “As you can see, we always have the longest lines, and people are willing to wait.”

With over 700 tickets sold this year, the Craft Beer Crawl had people lining up all over Old Town, and after the taps ran dry, those who wanted more local beer made their way to Backyard Social Club to see what was on tap there for their official Craft Beer Crawl Afterparty.

This event was the kick-off to Old Town Clovis’s 2024 event calendar, and the party continues with the more serene Vintage Market on March 24th, and then we’ll all get ready for the Clovis Rodeo on the last weekend in April, with the Big Hat Days street fair the first weekend in April.

If you’re looking forward to another just-for-adults event in Old Town Clovis, you won’t have to wait long for the Wine Walk on May 4th.