The holiday season brings many wonderful things to Hoboken: festive decor, delicious treats, general feelings of splendor and nostalgia. There’s one Hoboken event, however, that’s a little more divisive, and it comes in the form of hundreds of bar-going Santas. Love it or hate it, the SantaCon bar crawl tradition has persisted over the last decade, leaving many Hoboken locals to wonder if it’ll return in 2024. It’s confirmed that HoHoHoboken, a separate bar crawl event organized by Hoboken bar owners, will return on Saturday, December 7th. SantaCon, organized by the national company PubCrawls, is happening on Saturday, December 21st. Here’s what to know about the two events and what to expect from each.
Background on Santa-Themed Pub Events in Hoboken
SantaCon, the annual holiday pub crawl tradition tracing back to the 1990s in New York City, began in Hoboken in 2011. It started as a small gathering of friends dressing up as Santa to support a local cause and has grown into a larger event where thousands of participants take to the streets in Santa costumes. Over the years, the event has gained both popularity and criticism due to concerns about public intoxication and disruptive behaviors.
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The event in New York takes place around the same time every year in December, often on a Saturday before Christmas. This year’s New York City Santacon is happening on December 14th, 2024.
Despite its challenges, SantaCon returned to Hoboken in 2021 and has happened every year since. According to the official Hoboken SantaCon website, SantaCon is coming to Hoboken again on Saturday, December 21st, 2024.
HoHoHoboken
In 2022, several local bar and restaurant owners put together a new event, called Ho Ho Hoboken. This event has a similar premise to SantaCon, as it is a ticketed, pub-crawl-style event. Ho Ho Hoboken will return in 2024 on Saturday, December 7th.
Sixteen bars are participating in HoHo Hoboken including Wicked Wolf, Birch, Black Bear, Texas Arizona, Fat Taco, McSwiggans, and The Lola, among others. It runs from 12PM to 7PM, is 21+, and is ticketed. Upon ordering a ticket, locals can choose their check-in venue, and after that, have access to any of the participating venues for the duration of the event.
HoHoHoboken is not affiliated with SantaCon, so SantaCon tickets or any other Santa-themed wristbands will not be accepted. You can see the Eventbrite link here.
Organizers shared with The Hoboken Girl that select Hoboken bars are planning a similar bar crawl event for December 14th, which will similarly be ticketed. Details are still being finalized.
Hoboken SantaCon 2024
Per the official Hoboken SantaCon website, the event — organized by Pub Crawls — is returning to the Mile Square on Saturday, December 21st, starting at 10AM. The event lists 14 participating venues, including Madd Hatter, The Shannon, Wicked Wolf, The Lola, and Willie McBrides, among others. It’s worth noting that the official Eventbrite link, posted by Pub Crawls, lists Mikie Squared as a participating venue, which permanently closed earlier this year.
The Shannon and Madd Hatter both confirmed with The Hoboken Girl that they are participating in this year’s SantaCon. HG has reached out to other participating venues and will update this piece with any additional comments.
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According to the SantaCon website, all participating bars are exclusive to Pubcrawls.com event wristbands, which are at various rates depending on the venue. Ticketholders are required to check in at the venue they select, and will have access to any of the other participating bars once they receive their wristband.
We’ll update this article with more details as they unfold. For now, be sure to follow @thehobokengirl on Instagram and TikTok for the latest Hoboken + Jersey City happenings, and sign up for our newsletter here.
Barcade Jersey City to Close Permanently on 6/15
We all remember how fun it was when we were kids and we went to an arcade to play games and hang out with friends. Games like Ms. Pac-Man, NBA Jam, and Daytona USA were always the best ones, hands down. But the only thing that could make these games even better as an adult, quite possibly, is booze. Enter Barcade — a Jersey City spot that combines the best of both childhood and adult worlds. After a 14-year run in Chilltown, Barcade recently announced that its Jersey City location will be closing permanently on June 15th, 2025. Read on for more about the upcoming closure and what we'll miss about Barcade in Jersey City, New Jersey.
The Closure
Barcade announced on Thursday, February 6th via Instagram that its Jersey City location will be closing permanently on June 15th, 2025.
"It is with great sadness that we announce that our time in Jersey City is coming to an end. After an amazing 14-year run, our lease is ending and the last day of service will be June 15th. We hope to return to JC one day in a new location but in the meantime, we are opening very soon just a short train ride away on Cortlandt Street in lower Manhattan this spring and we hope you will visit us there – or at any of our other bars.
There are still four months of good times to be had, epic kegs to tap, and plenty of Rush songs to play, so stop in and see us before the final last call! JC was the second Barcade we opened and so much has changed since then for us and the city. It’s been a great experience just being here and being a part of it. Thank you so much, Jersey City!"
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Barcade currently has nine other locations in New York City, Philadelphia, Detroit, Los Angeles, and New Haven.
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About Barcade
Not only are the walls filled with classic arcade games at Barcade, but there is also an entire wall of beers on tap. The spot serves only American craft beers, but with a selection that big, there is truly something for everyone. Barcade even partners with certain breweries for exclusive drafts you won’t find anywhere else. If you’re not a beer drinker, however, Barcade has a full bar of hard liquor, wine, and cocktails to suit any palette as well.
The menu includes a selection of small plates, hot dogs, sandwiches, and salads — including edamame hummus, a "Dog of the Week," and a Jersey Devil Club sandwich with deviled pork roll, lettuce, tomato, and deviled egg aioli on sourdough. You can view the full menu here.
While all of this is certainly why the place gets packed, there is also one other lesser-known feature that is pretty unique, especially for a bar. Barcade is a certified green company, which means that it tries to have as little waste as possible. Barcade composts what it can, straws are not provided, and there are no bottled beers, which keeps down the waste output — not many bars can say they do that.
With a spacious seating area an outdoor seating when weather permits, the atmosphere is laid back and fun — which makes for a great spot to blow off some steam and indulge in some favorite childhood games. Take note though: only those 21 years of age or older are permitted inside the establishment. If you’re interested in playing a bunch of the games during your visit, consider going during the week when it tends to be less crowded. You’ll have no problem grabbing a beer and hitting the pinball machines.
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