Question: Where do I start the Loop?

Answer: There is no official starting point. Select the nightspot you'd like to visit first, pay the cover charge, and you will receive a wristband that gains you admission to all other Loop venues without paying another cover.

Question: What time do the buses start running?

Answer: 8:15 p.m.

Question: What time do the buses stop running?

Answer: The buses stop running their regular routes at 12:45 a.m. and begin making last-visit stops at 1 a.m. Buses stop running at 1:30 a.m. Tip: Be at the last venue you plan to visit by 12:30 a.m.

Question: What does my wristband entitle me to?

Answer: Admission to any Loop venue without paying another cover charge and free transportation on the Loop shuttle bus service.

Question: Do I need to wear a costume?

Answer: No, but you will feel much more a part of the party if you do. The Loops are costumed pub crawls, especially the '70s, '80s and Halloween Loop. For the St. Patrick's Day Loop, be sure to wear green. And many venues sponsor costume contests so be creative and you could go home with a prize.

Question: Does the Loop provide shuttle service to Newark and/or the University of Delaware?

Answer: No. Private groups do coordinate bus trips to Wilmington but they are not sponsored by the Loop.

Question: Where should I park?

Answer: At the venue you plan to be when the Loop concludes (1 a.m.). Don't wait until after 1 a.m. to catch a bus back to where you parked. There is no guarantee you will be able to accomplish that.

Question: Where do you purchase your wristband?

Answer: At the first venue you visit. There are no advance sales of Loop wristbands. Wristband sales begin at 7 p.m. the evening of the Loop.

Question: When did the Loop series start?

Answer: The first City Loop was the Friday after Thanksgiving in 1979. The Halloween Loops began the following year, in 1980.

Keys to a Successful Loop:

  • Start early (for the Halloween Loop, most venues have a waiting line by 10 p.m.).
  • Wear a comfortable costume. Make sure you can see where you are walking and use the rest room with ease. Also, make sure the costume doesn't cause you to become overheated (venues get very crowded on the Loop).
  • Designate a sober driver or plan to stay in the city for the evening at a friend's place or one of the city's five hotels.
  • Don't drink and drive! Call the Delaware Designated Driver Program at 302/999-9079 if you are with anyone who plans to drive and is not sober.
  • Plan your Loop course so that your last stop is near your home or your car. It's difficult to catch a bus across town after 1 a.m.
  • Tip the bus drivers. It's a difficult evening for them and they appreciate the extra contributions.
Advertisement:
Out & About Magazine  |  307 A St. Wilmington, DE 19801  |  302.655.6483  |  E-mail  |  All Rights Reserved TSN Publishing