Columbus brewery is calling on patrons to dress in costume for first Santa Con pub crawl
A local brewery is bringing a New York City holiday tradition to Columbus as it asks patrons to show up dressed as Santa or his elves for an inaugural Santa Con pub crawl.
Chattabrewchee Southern Brewhouse is hosting the festivities at 1301 6th Ave. on Saturday, Dec. 23, from 12 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to wear Santa gear while they enjoy the holiday activities.
Santa Con events in New York City and Arizona inspired Christina Thorington, Chattabrewchee spokesperson, to bring it to Columbus.
“I haven’t seen an image of Columbus where you have a lot of people dressed up as Santa or elves,” she told the Ledger-Enquirer. “So, I thought it would be a good idea to bring to Chattabrewchee because it’s a really great staple in Columbus.”
The brewery is the only one in Columbus that brews on-site, Thorington said. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Chattabrewchee has needed more traffic. Santa Con is a way to bring Columbus residents back to the veteran-owned brewery, she said.
“I thought it would be a great way to combine a nice, national type of holiday to Columbus,” Thorington said. “And also incorporate local vendors and small businesses in Columbus as well with the holiday market opportunity.”
Over 20 vendors, including food trucks, will be attending Santa Con, owner Beau Neal told the Ledger-Enquirer. Santa Con is a great way to get in some last-minute local Christmas shopping, he said.
“For husbands out there that aren’t sure what they’re getting their wife, I think it’s cool to have a shopping experience where you can pick out a cool, custom thing,” Thorington said. “And then maybe get an ale and chill out.”
Chattabrewchee customers at Santa Con will be able to try fresh-brewed craft beef and especially made Christmas Ale from guest German Brewmaster Keven Voss. The Brewmaster is known for his work with Fruh Kolsch, White Claw and award-winning craft breweries in Arizona, according to a news release.
Voss began working with Chattabrewchee in September, he told the Ledger-Enquirer, and has worked with Neal on creating new recipes.
“We were able to brew a bunch of beers,” Voss said.
Neal, who took over ownership of Chattabrewchee with his wife in 2022, is a pilot for Delta. He started brewing 30 years ago, Neal said, and it has become his passion.
“I’ve been brewing longer than Kevin has,” he said. “But I’m not the expert that Kevin is.”
It has been good to have someone who knows the science behind brewing at Chattabrewchee, Neal said.
Along with the specialty beers and vendors, attendees can bring pets with them for photos with Santa. A free gift wrapping station will be available for last-minute gift preparation. To end Santa con, patrons can test their holiday knowledge with Elf Trivia.
“We’re looking forward to having people there,” Neal said. “That’s the main goal — that people show up and be festive for the holidays.”
