JAMESTOWN – The organizer for the 44th Annual Runnin O’ the Green is hoping to get around 1,000 participants for the pub crawl on Saturday, March 18, in Jamestown.
“It would be nice to have about 1,000 people, which would be an outstanding business day for the restaurants, the motels and the bars,” Larry Knoblich said.
He said the weather forecast looks good for participants on Saturday. The National Weather Service in Bismarck is calling for mostly sunny skies with a high near 16 on Saturday.
With Jamestown getting more snow recently, he said on Monday afternoon, March 13, that he needs to contact someone to clear the 2 feet of snow from the starting area near Frontier Fort. He said he is hoping someone can also clear a path from the start of the route at top of the hill north of Frontier Village to the All Vets Bridge into McElroy Park.
“It would encourage more people to come down the hill, which I think is a big part of that event,” he said.
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He said some people might start further down the course with the snow and lower temperatures.
“It’s too bad for the very first place of the Run, which is the Frontier Fort,” he said. “They have in the past had a lot of business.”
Participants can register for the pub crawl early at Wildside Creations or at Cork & Barrel Liquors. Early registration at Wildside Creations for $30 gets individuals a T-shirt and a $10 donation to Camp Grassick.
Participants can also register for the event beginning at 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 17, at the Elks Lodge #995.
Registration on the day of the event begins at 11 a.m. at the Frontier Fort, where the Run begins. The first wave of runners will go down the hill north of Frontier Fort and cross the All Vets Bridge into McElroy Park before heading to the first stop – the Buff Bar & Lounge.
Participating bars include the Frontier Fort, Buff Bar & Lounge, The Club 1883, Elks Lodge #995, Corner Bar, Jonny B’s Brickhouse, Fred’s Den, All Vet’s Club and Shady’s Restaurants & Lounge, according to a Facebook post by Runnin O’ the Green Jamestown ND.
From event proceeds, $25,000 gets donated to Elks Camp Grassick – a summer camp located near Dawson for children and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities – and $10,000 is set aside to help cancer patients in the area. Knoblich said the event helps 20 cancer patients, who are each given $500.
“Come on down. Get behind this thing,” he said. “Let’s keep it going as the largest St. Patty’s Day event in the state.”
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He said $14,000 has already been donated from three of the local bars that comes from gaming funds. He said the bulk of the proceeds comes from the bars on the route.
“They are very important to raising money for charity,” he said.
The Jamestown Police Department will have officers who will patrol the downtown area and the Run’s course, said Lt. Robert Opp, shift supervisor. He said other officers working the day and night shifts will handle the normal calls for service on Saturday.
He said in most cases the crowds are well-behaved and want to have a good time. He said individuals should be mindful of consuming alcohol outside of a fenced-in area.
“Some of the establishments have a fenced-in area that is licensed for alcohol use that is outside,” he said. “If they have that fenced-in area, they can be there. … If they are walking on the route from one bar to another and they are consuming alcohol that is called unlawful possession of alcohol. They will get a ticket for it. That’s the biggest problem we normally have”
Opp said there won’t be a temporary court that will be operated for certain violations. In the past, a temporary court was operated for people who were arrested for open container, urinating in public or littering, and those individuals paid a bond and were given paperwork for their violations.
Opp said motorists should also be cautious of the people on Saturday because of the amount of snow that Jamestown has and more that is in the forecast this week.
“When we don’t have so much snow, the participants generally stick to sidewalks, but if they can’t get down the sidewalk, they are going to use the street,” he said. “We would just caution people to be very careful on Saturday because of the conditions that are existing.”
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Volunteers will not be driving for donations on Saturday, according to a Facebook post by Runnin O’ the Green Jamestown ND. The Facebook post says individuals should arrange for a designated driver or contact XLT Taxi at 701-269-7145 or Jamestown Taxi at 701-252-4200.
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