Arlington Issues Permit for Halloween Pub Crawl

Arlington County has issued its first pub crawl permit since the County Board in July classified pub crawls as Special Events, requiring that they be permitted, according to a news release from the county.

In the summer, the county vowed to make changes to its pub crawl regulations after a man stripped naked during a pub crawl and got behind the wheel of a car, crashing into several cars. Read: Naked Man Takes Arlington Police on Chase, Faces Multiple Charges

Here’s more about the issue, from the release:

The County has issued a permit to DC Project Events, an Arlington-based events company that plans a Halloween pub crawl in Clarendon on Saturday November 1. Under the new policy, DC Project Events will be required to reimburse the County for crawl-related personnel expenses, such as additional police officers.

Pub crawls typically attract hundreds, or even thousands of participants who buy tickets that allow them to walk from one establishment to another in a single night. The County brought pub crawls under its Special Events Ordinance on July 19, 2014, after the County had seen a significant increase in the increasingly popular events

“As the County Board has said, our goal is to manage these events in a way that ensures the safety of participants and residents of the surrounding neighborhoods and reimburses the County for crawl-related expenses,” said County Manager Barbara Donnellan.

Permits are issued through the County’s Department of Parks and Recreation, through the office of the Special Events Coordinator.