Snuggie pub crawl dazzles Y.C.

This ain't no average bar crawl.

Heads turned Saturday as several dozen revelers entered the Happy Viking sporting Snuggies of all colors and patterns, including Harry Potter, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Oakland Raiders.

With five drinking destinations on their list, the fuzzy-blanket crowd were honored with alcohol specials at each location during the first Yuba City Snuggie Pub Crawl.

Andrea Nevills, 24, and one of her friends personalized their costumes by lopping off the bottoms of bright pink children's Snuggies and bedazzling them with gems and belts.

"We call them sexy Snuggies," she said.

The women were proud of their creativity but a little nervous getting from their cars to the bar.

"We would have just died if we walked in and we were the only ones," Nevills said.

Yuba City resident Bryan Morrison, 26, and his fiancé, Alyssa Hyer, 21, got the idea for a Snuggie pub crawl when they witnessed a similar event in San Diego. They spread the word on social networking sites and posted details on windows of the participating bars.

"All these people are doing it because it's funny and it boosts our economy," he said. "Ninety percent of these people would not have come to this bar or any of the bars tonight if it weren't for this."

Many of the patrons bought or made Snuggies just for the event.

Sutter resident Libby Fitzgerald, 40, had her mother sew custom fleece for her, her friends and relatives. The women's versions had front pouches for purses and Fitzgerald's husband received a camouflage Snuggie complete with a hood.

"You get so busy with the kids and stuff but something silly like this is kind of fun," she said. "It's really cool to see how people changed it up."

But not all outsiders were impressed by the display.

"I think the whole thing is silly," said Eric Murray, 32, of Paradise. "What a waste of fabric."

Marysville resident April DeSousa, 35, was more upset by the treatment and drink specials the revelers were getting.

"I'm snuggily pissed that they are getting Kamikaze deals," she said. "That's prejudiced. We should start our own night — how about Apple Bottom Jean night?"

Snuggie bar crawls are not an uncommon occurrence. The phenomenon is striking cities across the United States as people opt to wear the sleeved blankets out in public, often promoted on snuggiepubcrawls.com.

After the Happy Viking, the crawlers made their way to the Spur, the Town Pump, the Captain's Table and the Happy Times. With Saturday's final destination a few miles away, Morrison worked out a deal with the owners of the Spur and the Captain's Table, who also run a cab company, to arrange for safe transportation for the Snuggie folks.

Chico resident Matt Coffman, 23, who had purchased his Oregon Beavers outfit just for the event, said it was so nice and cozy he planned to wear it at home and maybe for occasional drinking festivities.

"The best part is if you pass out on someone's front lawn, you've got it made," he said. "Your Snuggie is already on."

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Ashley Gebb at 749-4724 or agebb@appealdemocrat.com.