With so many drinking establishments, from flashy CBD bars to hutong hangouts, it’s no surprise that Beijing has a number of well-established bar crawls.
One of the newest additions to the scene is that of LEPRE-CON, a St. Patrick’s Day-themed bar crawl (“LEPRE-CON” sounds like “Leprechaun” the Irish folklore figure, but you knew that); the crawl took place on Saturday, March 19, 2022 of St. Patrick’s Day-week.
See pictures from LEPRE-CON 2022 throughout the article.
LEPRE-CON host Vincent Von Rock
That’s reached out to the event organizer, known only by his stage name Vincent Von Rock; you might be familiar with his DJ set at Modernista.
We asked him about his previous experience of organizing SANTA-CON, the inspiration behind LEPRE-CON and rumors that a summer-themed bar crawl may be on the cards for 2022.
“In fact, SANTA-CON has been happening in Beijing for years since it’s a global thing. Last year, I took it over and it went pretty well,” Von Rock tells us.
“SANTA-CON was a blast and everyone asked me to create more of these events. As an active event planner, I really want to have more events within the community since things have been tough in recent years.
“So, I decided to make (a bar crawl) which is seasonal. Of course, when we talk about colorful costumes and funny outfits, the first thing that comes to mind is St Patrick’s Day, also known as LEPRE-CON.”
The bar crawl was split into two routes. The first included 4corners and Moonee, both nearby Gulou area, as well as TGO and Great Leap.
The second was arranged by the Beijing Hash Harriers, a group described on their website as a “friendly, social and beer-motivated running club” (i.e. running is usually accompanied by stops for beer along the way). They threw in some secret stops for the LEPRE-CON attendees.
In keeping with the St Patrick’s Day theme, both routes ended at Paddy O’Shea’s Irish pub.
Von Rock offered us a little teaser of his next bar crawl project. Are you all set for TOGA-CON this summer?
Of course, you don’t need any reminders that COVID-19 outbreaks are still a possibility in Beijing. With that in mind, be sure to keep up to date with event information and comply with venues’ COVID-prevention measures, such as scanning the Beijing Health Kit QR code, etc.
And remember, a bar crawl is a marathon and not a sprint.
[All images via Steven R]
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