Tuscaloosa SantaCon Bar Crawl to Return, Benefit Turning Point

A fun holiday tradition that benefits a critical area nonprofit will return this week, bringing customers dressed as Santa Claus to a dozen area bars.

The 2025 SantaCon bar crawl, organized by the Tuscaloosa Bar Owners Association, will return on Friday, as revelers in red coats walk from bar to bar on the Strip, downtown, and elsewhere.

The bar crawl will obviously be a boost to each stop on the list, but organizer Bo Hicks said there's also a charity aspect to SantaCon - each participant is asked to bring a toy, home supplies, and bath supplies to donate.

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All the goods they raise will be donated to Turning Point, a critical Tuscaloosa nonprofit that aids the victims of abuse.

"SantaCon has been a tradition for years in Tuscaloosa that started as a grassroots goof from friends still in town during downtime," Hicks said. "It became a catalyst to do good in the world by it not just being a bar crawl, but a way to bring a little joy in the world by raising toys for Turning Point domestic violence shelter and their Santa's Sleigh drive, and the Tuscaloosa Bar Owners' Association has continued that."

People looking to participate can also drop off toys at Hicks' Druid City Brewing Company on Thursday or at the Houndstooth on Friday.

The SantaCon bar crawl kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday at the Houndstooth. Participants must be in costume and should expect to spend 15-30 minutes at each stop, with twelve bars on this list and an estimated end time of 1:30 a.m.

It may go without saying, but participants should be at least 21 years old, committed to drinking responsibly, and ready to pay for drinks and tip their servers at each stop, where each bar has planned a drink special for under $5.

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