Who won for best drink and most festive at the 2026 Tonopah Shamrock Walk?

The return of the Shamrock Walk had residents and visitors of the town of Tonopah clicking their heels with delight as they strolled down Main Street this past Saturday.

Taking in the festive sights and tempting drink concoctions whipped up by local businesses just for the occasion, Shamrock Walk attendees had no lack of reasons to raise a toast to St. Patrick’s Day.

Aside from celebrating the holiday and reveling in some fun, there was ample opportunity for attendees to peruse the participating businesses’ offerings, too, creating an evening full of frivolity and commerce.

Hosted by Tonopah Main Street, the Shamrock Walk took place March 14, with registration opening at 3 p.m. Everyone in the booze walk first signed in before being equipped with a list and map outlining the participating businesses, with instructions to vote for their favorite in two categories.

Every year, booze walk attendees are also armed with cups of some kind, both as keepsake souvenirs and as functional drinking vessels. For 2026, those cups came in the form of shiny, green shot glasses strung on necklaces. Of course, additional items for dressing up were made available, too, with clover green beads, festive hats and bow ties, decorative headbands and more making their way into the hands of Shamrock Walk-goers.

Then it was time to hit the street and search out the participant businesses, which totaled nine this year. These included A-Bar-L Western Store, Banc Club, Bug Bar, G’s Spot Vape Shop, Stash Fine Cannabis, The Tipsy Travelers, Tonopah Liquor Company, Tonopah Main Street and Tonopah Station. Each put its own spin on holiday-themed beverages and decked out their venues in glittering green and gold, rainbows and leprechauns but in the end, only two would earn themselves bragging rights for the year to come.

“The award for Best Drink of 2026 went to A-Bar-L with a non-alcoholic drink, woohoo! And Most Festive was the Tonopah Liquor Company,” Tonopah Main Street Executive Director Kat Galli detailed for the Times-Bonanza after the shindig came to a close.

Special drawings are always held at the end of the Shamrock Walk, as well, and the haul this year included various Easter-themed items, along with $20 “Main Street Money” gift certificates to participating Tonopah locations.

The Shamrock Walk is just one of Tonopah Main Street’s quarterly booze walks, events that are geared toward providing both fun for the community and a boost to the shops, stores and restaurants that make up the town’s economic backbone.

“These events are intended to bring people into our local businesses to get to know what they offer and hopefully, spend some money there,” Galli explained. “My personal example is this: I don’t smoke or vape so I wouldn’t go into a vape shop but then, you realize that they sell quite a lot of merchandise that has nothing to do with smoking! I’ve bought candles, earrings, sodas, shirts, etcetera, there. I obviously frequent these places because I work with our local businesses but others may never set foot into them unless it is as part of our booze walks or our free Business Egg Hunt.

“We hope our small businesses either make money the day of the events or in the future, because someone saw something they wanted. We also hope that people visit businesses that aren’t participating, because they are already downtown,” Galli continued. “Our small businesses are the heart and soul of our community. They provide services and goods to our locals and visitors. Without them, our town would look and feel unattractive. Less visitors would come to Tonopah, which would result in less tax collections for the town. Less taxes would mean less services for our residents. So, if people want to have a community pool in the summer, parks and playgrounds, rodeo grounds, sports fields, etcetera, we must support our local businesses and we must attract visitors.”

The Shamrock Walk, as with all of Tonopah Main Street’s events, is a large undertaking that requires input from many. Galli was quick to offer her gratitude to those who helped make this year’s St. Patrick’s Day booze walk such a success.

“Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers for hosting the event without me,” Galli enthused. “First and foremost, our wonderful secretary Jael and her family! Thank you to all the participating businesses who go above and beyond for our community. And finally, thank you to the town of Tonopah for allowing businesses outside the area to set up at the Union Plaza and Heritage Park.”

For more information on the organization or any of its upcoming events, visit TonopahMainStreet.com

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com