Photo courtesy of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber and Shires Young Professionals: Matt Willey and Ricky Craft of Ramunto's taking care of customers during the Pub Crawl
Fifth annual event highlights hospitality growth, foot traffic, and community connection in the heart of Bennington
Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce and The Shires Young Professionals are celebrating another highly successful St. Paddy’s Day Pub Crawl after the 5th annual downtown event generated strong traffic, increased sales, and visible energy for participating Bennington businesses. The 2026 crawl, hosted and organized by the Shires Young Professionals, featured six downtown stops — Kelli’s Tavern, Madison Brewing Company, Ramunto’s Brick Oven Pizza, 421 Craft Bar & Kitchen, Union South Pub & Provisions, and Pearls at the Garage — and invited residents and visitors alike to spend the day moving through Bennington’s hospitality district in a festive, highly social, and locally focused experience.
What has become one of downtown Bennington’s signature seasonal traditions continues to demonstrate that community-based events can also serve as meaningful economic drivers. According to participating venues, the 2026 pub crawl produced measurable gains over typical March Saturdays and, in several cases, notable year-over-year increases.
Union South Pub & Provisions reported a 39% increase over the same Pub Crawl Saturday last year, with strong performance across liquor, draft beer, and food. Ramunto’s shared that the day finished roughly $1,000 above recent Saturday averages, with one key hour alone generating $300 more in sales than the same Pub Crawl last year. Madison Brewing Company reported that this year's Pub Crawl was 25% ahead of last year's, calling it especially successful compared to other Saturdays this season. At 421 Craft Bar & Kitchen, sales came in approximately $1,000 above last year’s Pub Crawl, with organizers there expressing strong enthusiasm about the event’s impact.
Beyond direct sales, the pub crawl helped create something equally important for downtowns: movement, visibility, and shared momentum. By encouraging participants to visit multiple businesses over the course of the day, the event spread activity throughout the district, introduced attendees to new venues, and reinforced the value of coordinated, place-based experiences in downtown Bennington.
The volunteer-led young professional organization coordinated participating locations, developed a punch card initiative and secured discounts through their partnership with the Better Bennington Corporation (BBC). Volunteers organized trivia tied to the 250th celebration, visited establishments to give physical flyers, took pictures for promotional material, posted weeklong social media content in the build-up to the event, and prepared event goody bags.
“The St. Paddy’s Day Pub Crawl is about more than a fun day out,” said Dr. Courtnay Wilson, Board Chair of the Shires Young Professionals. “It is about building community, showcasing the vibrancy of downtown, supporting local businesses, and giving people a chance to connect in a welcoming and festive way while highlighting why Bennington County is such a special place to live. This event is also a true team effort, led by an active SYP volunteer board, local business partners, and community collaborators. From outreach and promotions to creative additions like trivia, 250th-themed elements, and the punch card initiative, this year’s event reflected the strong partnerships that helped it grow into a town-wide celebration.”
Hosted by the Shires Young Professionals, the event is part of a broader effort to help young professionals and young families build roots, relationships, and a sense of belonging in the region. The organization focuses on creating lasting connections for young workers in Bennington County and partners with the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce on events and initiatives that support talent attraction, retention, and community life. The organization describes itself as a community-building network that hosts more than 20 events annually and works to help people thrive in Southwestern Vermont.
“This is exactly the kind of event that reflects the intersection of economic vitality and community development,” said Matt Harrington, CEO of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce. “When people are downtown, spending money locally, discovering businesses, and building positive associations with this place, that matters. These experiences help strengthen our hospitality sector, support small business revenue, and reinforce Bennington as a vibrant place to live, work, and gather. I want to give a special shoutout to my staff member Luis who did a majority of the organizing and back end in partnership with the SYP. He has brought this to a new level!”
The event remained free and open to the public for participants age 21 and older, with optional registration for updates, giveaways, and specials.
Stay tuned for next year’s pub crawl at https://www.shiresyp.com/pubcrawl
About The Shires Young Professionals
The Shires Young Professionals is an affiliate organization of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber focused on building community and lasting connections for young workers in Bennington County. The organization creates social, civic, professional, and volunteer opportunities designed to help young people build vibrant lives in Southwestern Vermont.
About the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce
The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce promotes, leads, and advocates for a unified effort on behalf of its members to maintain and improve a healthy business climate and rewarding quality of life throughout the region.
BENNINGTON, VT (March 2026) — Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce
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