Downtown Wine & Wassail Walk

I’m surprised that you can review this, but I’m going for it! :D
I randomly found an ad for this event while browsing online and decided to check it out. I purchased tickets for my husband and I and got quite a bit of people from work to come to.
The check in process for everyone except for me was easy. I’m glad I printed my receipt because they didn’t have me or my husband on the list. However! The night was young and so are we: D
The event was organized well and went off perfectly. The courthouse was where you checked in, got your wine glass, and a wine koozie. The courthouse was also the first stop on the route. I believe there were 14 business that participated and it was so fun! The businesses all did a great job of setting out food, and were so friendly when you came in. The wine was good, the wassail was great, and different places even had other drinks etc.
I have lived in San Marvelous for almost 6 years and this is the MOST FUN EVENT I have been to! I loved how friendly everyone was and the great atmosphere that was going on. There was also a carriage ride if you wanted to partake. My husband and I are lucky enough to live close to downtown so we walked and didn’t have to worry about parking. I think though that parking was adequate as I know the justice center was an option to park at.
I tell EVERYONE how much fun this event was, and I’m so excited that they are going to be having a Art & Wine Walk on March 7^th. I hope it will be just as awesome as this one was.
I also would like to state that this walk helped me get inside of businesses that I haven’t had the time to stop into and because of this event, I now have found the BEST HAIRDRESSER and Salon in San Marcos. :D
I hope this event will be a yearly thing as my husband and I will continue to go.

OK, so it’s not exactly a popular thing at the moment to conflate «well done!» with «government agency». But that’s exactly what happened last night in San Marcos!
As part of the Main Street project to revitalize San Marcos’ downtown, an agency of the City of San Marcos worked hand-​in-​hand with local businesses to promote shopping, nightlife, and good times in the context of a Wine and Wassail Walk. When the revitalization project is complete, the old broken and haphazard sidewalks and dangerous «two-​step» gutters which abut the angle parking will be replaced by more tranquil parking islands and uniform walking paths, transforming downtown San Marcos into a destination rather than an avoidance.
This event was a desperately needed shot-​in-​the-​arm as downtown San Marcos suffers in the throes of some long-​postponed infrastructure improvements. Water and sewer line life-​cycle replacments have rendered several blocks of entire city streets a war zone for what seems like eons, but has really only been about a year. For those of you in Austin who can vividly recall the impact of the East 7^th corridor revitalization, imagine that running through the heart of your downtown, and you’ve got the picture. It will all be glorious in the end, but, in the meantime, this event was a great draw and boon for those businesses gutsy and tough enough to see it through.
Eighteen businesses participated, including one humidor, a cell phone repair store, a barber shop, a paint-​your-​own-​pottery business, several clothing stores, a few salons, and two museums. Very reasonably priced tickets were sold for the event to benefit Main Street San Marcos and United Way. In return, each participant received a wine glass for sampling, as well as a tour map. Event organizers were careful to alternate starting points as each new registrant signed in, so as to disperse the crowd and not overwhelm the first stop. Complimentary parking was offered, and there were free horse-​drawn carriage tours available.
Each business, in turn, got to introduce themselves personally to the participants and offered a variety of wine samples. Most businesses also had their own wassail, and nearly all offered nibbles of sweets or cheese. Nearly every business had discounts available for same-​night purchases or future services.
For a fledgling event, it went splendidly! There was never a hint of overcrowding at any of the stops along the way, and you actually had time to get to know the folks behind the storefronts. I was able to get reacquainted with one of the true gems in downtown San Marcos (Paper Bear) and my date for the event eventually had to drag me out of the store (post purchase, of course). More on Paper Bear in a separate review.
Best of all, I got my very first woozie! Don’t know what a «woozie» is? Well, I guess you’ll just have to attend next year and find out for yourself!