SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KGTV) — It’s not just the convention center that will be transformed during Comic-Con next week. Bars, restaurants, and venues around the city will be celebrating with special deals and pop-ups to celebrate the influx of visitors to San Diego.
Barleymash on Fifth Avenue will have “Barley’s Blockbuster Weekend," transforming itself into an old video store. They will have giveaways, including tote bags, membership cards, and custom popcorn buckets. Food specials will include nods to SpongeBob, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Minecraft, and Matilda.
Downstairs, Ginger’s is hosting karaoke to kick off Comic-Con on July 24. They’ll also celebrate National Tequila Day with drink specials.
Right down the street, Hasta Manana Cantina will follow a lucha libre theme all weekend with staff dressed to honor the professional wrestling style out of Mexico. They’ll also have themed craft cocktails and “grab-n-go” breakfast burritos.
Visitors will also enjoy San Diego’s status as “The Capital of Craft” - with more than 150 brewery locations and the original post-prohibition brewing company Karl Strauss less than a mile from the convention center. Those looking for more spirited beverages can head to The Whiskey House, which holds the Guinness World Record for Most Variety of Whiskeys Available. That’s just a five-minute walk from the convention center.
City Tacos will celebrate the start of Comic-Con with “Twas the Night Before Comic-Con Trivia” on Wednesday, July 23, starting at 6 pm.
Pokémon fans can head to Cloak & Petal in Little Italy for two specialty menus inspired by the media franchise, available from July 24 to 27. Menu items include Fire Blast Sashimi and the Big Zard Roll. You can wash those down with cocktails, including Squirtle’s Pool Party and Pikachu Bolt.
Comic-Con is expected to bring more than 130,000 people to San Diego next week. Click here for coverage of last year’s convention.
