BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — 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.
Christiane Camou, third-generation owner of Wool Growers, said people plan months ahead to secure their spot at this cherished event.
"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.
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.
Camou, who grew up celebrating this tradition, said she loves watching it continue to spread after so many decades.
"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.
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.
"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.
Rod Crawford, owner of Pyrenees Café, said he has watched the celebration grow over the years and works to accommodate the increasing crowds.
"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.
Crawford said his restaurant has adapted to handle the large turnout by adding more patio seating and creating additional standing room with outdoor heaters.
"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.
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