BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 Generations of families gathered Wednesday night for the annual Basque Crawl, a decades-old tradition that has become one of the busiest nights of the year for Basque restaurants.<\/p>\n
Christiane Camou, third-generation owner of Wool Growers, said people plan months ahead to secure their spot at this cherished event.<\/p>\n
“I have some people will call me months in advance to make sure they get their reservation at the time slot they want, you know, especially if they’re in a big group,” Camou said.<\/p>\n
The Basque Crawl began decades ago when college students returned home for Thanksgiving and wanted to visit traditional Basque establishments. What started as a small gathering has evolved into a large, multi-generational celebration that draws families from across the region.<\/p>\n
Camou, who grew up celebrating this tradition, said she loves watching it continue to spread after so many decades.<\/p>\n
“I think it’s such a wonderful community that we have here, and I’m so thrilled to be able to, like, celebrate,” Camou said.<\/p>\n
Tim Ortiz said his family has participated in the Basque Crawl for almost 50 years. With relatives scattered throughout California, this annual gathering is something they prioritize attending.<\/p>\n
“It’s just awesome. I mean, we walk in, I walk in, I saw one cousin as soon as I came in and come back here two or three friends on the way over here, so everyone we know is just out and about. It’s kind of a big school tradition, so we’re just enjoying and being part of the holiday,” Ortiz said.<\/p>\n
Rod Crawford, owner of Pyrenees Caf\u00e9, said he has watched the celebration grow over the years and works to accommodate the increasing crowds.<\/p>\n
“There’s always so many new faces that show up, because they’ve told their friends about it, and they want to become a part of it. So it’s just a really neat experience,” Crawford said.<\/p>\n
Crawford said his restaurant has adapted to handle the large turnout by adding more patio seating and creating additional standing room with outdoor heaters.<\/p>\n
“We had a lot more tables on the patio. We’ve had to kind of move stuff around so that we have space for more standing room, patio, heaters. So there’s going to be a lot of people coming and going,” Crawford said.<\/p>\n
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