CHOOSE YOUR TEAM

JOIN THE CRAWL by selecting a venue of your choice. This will be the FIRST STOP on the crawl route. (The next 2 stops will be determined by us and at the 4th stop, you can Crawl to a venue of your choice.) 

  • Choose any team that begins at your first stop. This is the team you’ll be crawling with.

  • A Kwanzaa Crawl® team leader will lead you and your team from bar to bar.

  • Teams can have anywhere from 25 to 125 people.

  • Teams will criss cross, split up, get back together, and at most venues---multiple teams will show up to the same bar at the same time!


All of our team leaders are certified in turnt, and will play music, shout chants, and lead you in song as you travel through the streets.


YOUR ROUTE is predetermined and you won’t know all of the bars your team will hit until you get your Kwanzaa Crawl® map at the Kick-Off ceremony. That’s a big part of the fun!

  • Each team will hit 4 bars, and teams will rotate from bar-to-bar at the same time.

  • We have thousands of Crawlers participating, so the only way to ensure that there’s enough space is for everyone to stay with their teams. After 9 PM, all crawlers can roam freely to any participating bar.


40+ BARS across 8 NEIGHBORHOODS in Brooklyn will be open exclusively to Kwanzaa Crawlers with dope DJs, drink specials and food.

Hashtag #KwanzaaCrawl2023 in all of your posts! We’re giving away awards on social media for best outfit, littiest team, best DJ, dopest venue,, and more.

BEFORE THE CRAWL

WRISTBAND PICK UP

Wristband pick up dates are December 16, 17, and 18 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Crawlers can pick up their wristbands, event guides, and shop at dope Black-owned businesses at our Buy-Black pop up shop.

Please know the Team # listed on your Eventbrite Ticket Description and bring a valid 21+ photo ID.

DAY OF THE CRAWL

On the day of the event, meet your team leader and the rest of your team at the Kick-Off ceremony to get your map with your Crawl route. Please be on time, you don’t want your team to start Crawling without you!

Teams will criss-cross, mix together, split, link back up, and have dance-offs in the streets. Yes, it’s actually happened and Yes, it’s as lit as it sounds.

KICK-OFF SCHEDULES

Kwanzaa Crawl has grown over the years! To accommodate everyone, we are staggering Kick-Off schedules. Crawlers will be notified of their team’s exact Kick-Off time/location in advance.

ON THE STREETS

Have fun, be merry! Your team leader has a Kwanzaa Crawl® playlist ready to keep the party going as we walk from bar-to-bar. Join in, have fun, and be ready to lead some songs of your own! It’s Kwanzaa Karaoke!

Most bars are between 10 - 20 minutes walking distance. Wheelchair-accessible routes are available if you’re or someone in your group is Crawling on wheels.

For a more exciting crawl, routes are set up so that teams will split up, join together, criss-cross, and pass one another in the street. If you pass another team, be sure to shout “Habari Gani!” which is “What’s Up?” in Swahili.

SAFETY

WHAT TO BRING

  • Cash

  • Metrocard

  • A Full Stomach

  • A Positive, COOPERATIVE Attitude

  • Comfortable Shoes

  • Cell Phone Charger

  • Valid ID showing you are 21 years or older 

  • There will be NO coat check so wear warm clothes, but pack light & layer

  • If you’re too intoxicated, venue security will not let you in.

  • There is security at every bar. We WILL NOT give them a reason to stop our fun.

  • Do NOT drink and drive. Not even if you “sobered up a little,” not even if you “just live right there.” Don’t try and be a hero.

  • Please follow the rules of the crawl. There will be no problems if we’re orderly.

  • Participating in the crawl means you agree to consume alcohol responsibly and to be held accountable for your own actions. Neither Kwanzaa Crawl nor participating venues are liable for damage to property or persons. Review full terms and conditions here.

THINGS TO KNOW

Kwanzaa Crawl® is about cooperative work and moving as a collective. While we realize that you could just buy a ticket and do your own thing, Kwanzaa Crawl® is about unity. Please do not use this as an opportunity to assert your independence.

The tone we set at Kwanzaa Crawl® will set an example for future events. Let’s prove that it’s possible for Black people to come together and pool our resources----not for no school or no basketball team, but to do something positive for the community and stay out of trouble.

Be PATIENT. Venues are prepared and staffed for the event, but please keep in mind that we are packing them to capacity for 8 hours.

JOINING THE CRAWL AFTER WORK?

If you’ve already picked up your wristband but won’t make it to the Kick-Off ceremony to get the Kwanzaa Crawl® map with your team’s route-- don’t worry! At 4 PM, you’ll be able to access the routes on the QR code on your wristband. Unfortunately, we have to keep the routes secret until the event kicks off, so you won’t have access to your map until all of the teams are already at their first stop.