Andersonville Welcomes Back Annual VIKING PUB CRAWL!

The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce (ACC) is pleased to bring back its popular Viking Pub Crawl, welcoming 200+ costumed Vikings to sample drink specials throughout the neighborhood on Saturday, November 20 from 3 – 6 pm. Check-in begins at 2 pm at @mosphere, 5355 N Clark St. in Chicago. Each ticket includes a lanyard that allows access to drink discounts at 14 participating bars and restaurants, a free appetizer at check-in and a commemorative Viking Pub Crawl beer glass designed by Transit Tees. @mosphere has also secured pedicabs to transport revelers to various drop-off points. Tickets ($20 per person) are available at the Viking Pub Crawl Page. Please bring cash for drinks, as some venues do not accept credit cards. An “authentic” cow horn drinking horn is available for an additional cost. All current CDC health guidelines will be followed, and safety requirements may be in place. Event is 21+.

Now in its fourth year, the Viking Pub Crawl traditionally kicks off the Andersonville holiday season and is celebrated mid-November in honor of St. Morten’s Gås Day, “gås,” meaning “goose” in English. Four years ago, the pub crawl replaced the neighborhood’s annual goose parade, and has grown in popularity ever since. ACC has been celebrating some form of St. Morten’s in Andersonville since 2005, with the earliest photos showing a small parade of locals including a costumed Viking, Santa Claus, reindeer dog and plastic goose wrangler, accompanied by someone wielding the “Welcome to Andersonville” sign and ringing a small bell to alert shopkeepers and residents alike that the holiday season had finally arrived.

The quirky Andersonville holiday was derived from the Swedish celebration of French saint, St. Martin, also known as the “patron saint of South Swedish gastronomes.” Traditionally, the Swedes celebrated on St. Martin’s Eve, November 10, with a goose dinner, as geese are at their fattest in early November. Read more about St. Martin and his origins here, obtained by ACC from the Swedish American Historical Society in 2000.

Participating locations for the 2021 Andersonville Viking Pub Crawl include:

@mosphere, 5355 N Clark St. (check-in location)

The Call, 1547 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.

Farraguts on Clark, 5240 N. Clark St.

FIYA, 5419 N. Clark St.

Gadabout, 5212 N. Clark.

Land & Lake Andersonville, 5420 N. Clark St.

Meeting House Tavern, 5025 N. Clark St.

Nobody's Darling, 1744 W. Balmoral Ave.

Parson's Chicken & Fish Andersonville, 5721 N. Clark St.

Replay Andersonville, 5358 N. Clark St.

Simon's Tavern, 5210 N. Clark St.

The SoFo Tap, 4923 N. Clark St.

Uvae Kitchen and Wine Bar, 5553 N. Clark St.

Urban Brew Labs (location on Clark St. TBD)

Participating locations subject to change.

Groups are encouraged, so invite friends and dress up – there will be a costume contest for best group and best individual Viking costume! Guests are also encouraged to post photos to Instagram using the hashtag #AvilleVikings.

The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce (ACC) fosters a vibrant environment in which Andersonville businesses can thrive by attracting a diverse customer base; providing business support services and advocacy; and engaging in business attraction, long-range planning, and economic development.