It’s that time of year again! Time to get your drink on in support of the fight against multiple sclerosis. The 8th Annual MS Pub Crawl is from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. (or later depending on your booze endurance) this Saturday, March 9th in Ballard. This event, organized by my good friend and fundraising guru, Molly Johnston, has raised over $55,000 in support of research and programs working to find a cure for M.S. and help families currently dealing with the disease.

This crawl is no joke. All the money raised goes directly to the National MS Society, and all the participants know how to party. For realz, yo. We be drinking. Not sure where the thug life grammar came from, but it felt good.

Thirty dollars gets you in, with a t-shirt and drink specials at every bar on the crawl list. Below is the list of participating bars, and a link to register. Come join me and the approximately 300 other awesome people who will be in attendance. You can think of it as training for St. Patrick’s Day drinking with the added bonus of doing good for the community. Who can say no to that? Bad people, that’s who. (Just kidding, you’re all wonderful, no matter if you attend or not. Xoxo… but you should probably come.)

BAR LOCATIONS, Drink Specials valid from 3-10pm
Kings Hardware @ 3pm to get your t-shirt
The Loft
Hattie’s Hat
BalMar – 6:30pm for RAFFLE TIME!
Azteca (nachos anyone?)
Market Arms
*reminder – as soon as you check in, you can head to any bar on the list!

Instructions to register:

Click link below

Select “Other amount meaningful to you” and write in $30 (or if you’d like to donate more that the minimum, select any other option)

Include t-shirt size in personal note section

Fill out rest of form and submit

Click here to register for the MS Pub Crawl >>

Next week is Cinco de Mayo (ariba!). In preparation for one of the most sloppy holidays of the year, I thought it would be fun to put together some ideas to help celebrate the holiday that commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla. Sound spicy? Well get on in here then!

If you’re looking to celebrate Cinco de Mayo Seattle-style consider these options:

• Sample some of Mexico’s finest cuisine – Everybody has their favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurant, but let’s face it some are better than others. Some of my personal favorites include Galerias in Capitol Hill (gorgeous ambiance, an amazing mole and fun bar to boot), Agua Verde Café & Paddle Club (they offer several types of homemade salsas that will knock your socks off) in the U-District and Mama’s Mexican Kitchen in Belltown. And if you’re looking for something a little off the beaten path try a taco truck. Tacos El Asadero in Rainer Beach has a carne asada that takes me back to my days living in California. Trophy Cupcakes is also offering a special margarita-inspired cupcake if you’re looking for a sweet treat to end your meal.
• Partake in a tequila tasting – Unbeknownst to me, there are several hot spots in Seattle in which you can sample thousands of different kinds of tequila (I should disclose that tequila and I have been divorced since Cinco De Mayo 2006 so I’ve received these recommendations from some trusted tequila-loving sources). Some even offer tequila flights and if that doesn’t say Cinco de Mayo I don’t know what does! Check out The Saint in Capitol Hill or one of my all-time favorite bars BalMar in Ballard. Each have a mind-blowing selection of tequila from places I didn’t even know existed.
• Looking for a party? – If a party-atmosphere is more of what you’re craving Tacos Guymas will be hosting a Cinco De Mayo block party at its Greenlake location with live music a beer garden. Mission in West Seattle is throwing a bash with music from DJs at Fuzzy Lounge Sounds and drink special until 2 a.m.

Do you have a favorite way or place to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? Send me your tips via Twitter @foodiecritic. I’ll update my post as I receive these to keep spreading the spicy goodness.