We’ve all heard the expression “It takes a village.” Usually, it’s applied to something about raising a child, but over time it’s been applied to everything under the sun. In this case, it looks like it takes a village to present the first annual Gateway Village St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl. Now, that being said, I’m sure a lot of you are thinking “where on earth is Gateway Village?” It’s kind of new, and you’ve probably driven by it more than once and didn’t know it actually had a name.

Gateway Village is located off of West Colfax Avenue after it curves around and heads south towards Morrison. Just before it crosses under I-70. It sits up on the ridge next to Avalanche Harley Davidson, which is the most visible landmark, and is a little business complex that is kind of hidden back there. It houses several restaurants, a coffee café as well as a liquor store that have gotten together to put on a Saint Patrick’s Day pub crawl all within the same basic location.

So, here’s what’s going on over there. It’s happening on Friday, March 17. The event starts at 5 p.m. with group costumes, and one free cocktail at the Morris & Mae Food Hall, followed by a full hour of “happy hour power hour” drink and food specials. 

From there, it will move over to the Launch Espresso Food Spirits Café for a Whiskey Cold Brew (available in decaf if preferred). Next, they’ll be crawling down the street to the Nomad Taqueria and Beer Garden for a St. Paddy’s Specialty Cocktail. That’s followed by a quick intermission for a shot from Boulder Spirits then it’s back to Morris and Mae for an Irish Dance troop performance! After everyone’s had their fill of traditional Irish folk dance, the party headsacross the street to Over Yonder Brewery for live music from Vada and a free pint. 

Drink and food specials available at all four locations as well. Then, being a Friday night, you can feel free to dance the night away at Over Yonder or just complete the crawl at Morris and Mae for late night happy hour until midnight.

It sounds like a really fun time and a great chance for everyone to check out some of these new food venues. But, that being said, it is a pub crawl, which means that it’s going to involve more than one alcoholic beverage. So, if you are planning on going to this, I’d recommend that you get together a little group and have one designated driver. Either that or have your favorite ride share service on speed dial. Remember that it’s going to be a pretty busy night for those folks too, so bring along a little extra patience. And, if all else fails, there’s actually a new hotel at Gateway Village so there’s no excuse for drinking and driving from there. Just be safe, ok?

Morris & Mae is located at 18475 W. Colfax Ave. #132 and includes six eateries, a bar and an artisan market.

Dining options include The Alpine House, Goldmine Sweets + Espresso, Kiki’s Fresh Bowls, La Rosita, Mac Nation Café and fresh Italian-food purveyor Paisan. The Drinkery features 20 taps, wine, cocktails and mocktails, and the marketplace includes Middlemist florist, as well as products from local companies like Postcard Foods, Pickles & Potions, Il Porcellino and Little Man Ice Cream.

Launch is a café and coffee bar that prides itself on grinding, brewing and serving some of the world’s best coffee right here in Golden. They also offer a full food menu and crafting coffee inspired cocktails. It’s located at 18455 W. Colfax Ave. #101.

Over Yonder Brewing Company offers an impressive menu of craft beers that has something for everyone, including no alcoholic selections. Their address is 18455 W Colfax Avenue, # 103.

And the Nomad Taqueria and Beer Garden brings fresh Southwestern-inspired food and drinks to the Golden community. With expansive indoor and outdoor space, there is plenty of room for drinking and dining. It’s located in the Origin Hotel, Red Rocks at 18485 West Colfax Ave.

So, that’s another suggestion of where to get your green on this weekend. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

John Akal is a well-known jazz artist/drummer and leader of the 20-piece Ultraphonic Jazz Orchestra. He also is president of John Akal Imaging, professional commercial photography and multimedia production. He can be reached at jaimaging@aol.com.