Ben Lippert

For many SDSU students, downtown Brookings is the place to be on weekends. Pick a bar, any bar, and there will be Jackrabbits bouncing around inside.

From the Lantern Lounge, to the 9 Bar and Nightclub, to Main Street Pub, there is an atmosphere that suits every personality.Skyler Crabill, a junior broadcast journalism major, goes downtown to spend time with friends and let everything go.

Crabill’s favorite bar is Jim’s Tap because of the medieval decorations, complete with swords on the wall, and the international nights.

“I like to go downtown with my friends after a long week of school to let loose and try my luck at the opposite sex,” Crabill said.

Benjamin Busser, a senior economics major, also goes downtown to enjoy a relaxed environment.

“I usually go downtown to socialize with friends,” Busser said. “The atmosphere makes it easy to talk and to meet people.”

Downtown Brookings is full of things to do for those who do not want to drink. Some of the bars are also full-menu restaurants. For example, Cubby’s Bar and Grill has a full menu of appetizers, burgers, dinner salads, wraps, sandwich baskets and signature sandwiches.

The Ram, in association with O’Hares Bar, also has a full menu. They have a long list of appetizers, chicken and seafood items, sandwiches, pastas, burgers and deserts. The Ram even has a kids’ menu.

Cubby’s and The Ram are both smoke-free establishments, which improves the environment for families.

There are many local restaurants located in downtown Brookings that are not affiliated with the bars. Cook’s Kitchen is a local home-style diner that serves breakfast during all business hours and also provides lunch options. Nick’s Hamburger Shop is another local restaurant that serves burgers with all the toppings, and it features SDSU ice cream.

Along with the bars and restaurants, there are many places to shop, and major events held on a monthly basis. Some of these events that hit downtown Brookings are SDSU’s Hobo Day, Taste of Brookings, Music on Main and the upcoming annual Pub Crawl.

March 27 marks yet another big weekend for downtown Brookings, as Pub Crawl is being held from 12-6 p.m. Participating bars are Ray’s Corner, Sully’s Irish Pub, Main Street Pub, Skinner’s Pub, the Lantern Lounge, Cubby’s Bar and Grill and 9 Bar and Nightclub.

Each bar sends out a team to complete the challenge of going from bar-to-bar, drinking for post-St. Patrick’s Day celebration and fun. There are no winners and it is just for fun. It is similar to a marathon where the winners are the ones who complete it.

Hopeful participants can sign up at their favorite bar until the team rosters are full. Some sign-up deadlines for teams have ended and others are ending shortly, but students and people in the community can still participate in the activities.

Sully’s Irish Pub owner Brenan Sullivan said Pub Crawl is easily one of the top-ten busiest days for his establishment. This is Sullivan’s seventh year hosting a Pub Crawl team, and despite the gravity of the event, he is subdued about its potential.

“It’s just another day downtown,” said Sullivan. “It’s just a bunch of people getting together and having a great time.”

Sullivan reflected on Pub Crawl in years past, and said that in comparison the event has been much calmer in recent years. Sullivan said there has been destruction of property and big messes in the past due to the level of intoxication by the participants. He thinks that the event has turned into more a social gathering where people just “go out and have a great time.”

Sullivan said they are only doing two things to prepare for this year’s Pub Crawl: scheduling extra staff, and making sure they have plenty of beer.