As they entered the bar Sunday night patrons at the Royal N'Orleans were greeted with a hearty hello and a handshake from a leprechaun with a green suit, matching hat and an Irish accent.

And as they drank their green beer and toasted good times, Terry Vallelunga, the leprechaun, made balloons animals and performed card tricks.

But all of Vallelunga's magic couldn't keep the patrons at his bar all night.

They had other places to be. Twelve other places, in fact, because after all they weren't ordinary patrons. They were pub crawlers.

Donned in green clothes, green jewelry and in some cases green hair, the pub crawlers made their way through 13 different bars in downtown Cape Girardeau as part of the 13th -- or 14th -- annual St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl.

Doc Cain, owner of Port Cape, the bar where the pub crawl originated, said no one can remember if it was 13 or 14 years ago that the first group of patrons lifted their glasses in honor of St. Patrick.

Nevertheless, he said, it's a tradition that has people coming back year after year.

Made it on crutches

Kathie Graviett, of Chaffee, Mo., didn't let a broken foot stop her from participating in her third pub crawl.

Instead of sitting at home with her leg propped up, she threw a bright green sock with white four-leaf clovers over her foot and headed downtown on crutches.

"It's become a tradition," Graviett said. "I love St. Patrick's Day."

Graviett and a friend started the night at the N'Orleans but soon headed to Port Cape in search of more friends.

"There are usually about 20 people with us," she said. "There would be more with us if they didn't have to get up and go to work in the morning."

Cain said the thought crossed his mind the annual event might not draw as many people since it fell on a Sunday night, but he quickly realized the people are in it for the fun no matter what day it is.

"People like this event," he said. "Even if it is on a Sunday."

'It's a challenge'

Michael Howell, a student at Southeast Missouri State University, didn't mind the day of the week because he is on spring break.

"My friends told me about this, so I thought I'd check it out," he said. "It's a challenge, you have three hours to get to 13 bars all in the name of a free T-shirt."

Jason Sander, one of Howell's friends who decided to be different and wear a giant chicken suit to the crawl, said they were averaging 12 minutes per stop.

"It's all about the fun," he said as he headed out the door of Port Cape on his way to the Indigo Club. "I don't know if we're gonna make it through them all, but we're gonna try."

Five bars participated in the first pub crawl. Thirteen establishments took part this year including, for the first time, the N'Orleans.

The normally white lights inside the restaurant were changed to green and the sound of Irish music filled the air.

Jerri Wyman, who owns the restaurant with her husband, John, said they decided to participate in the pub crawl this year because they wanted people to see the fun side of the restaurant.

"We feel a lot of people think the N'Orleans is just a place for expensive dinners, and it's not," she said.

Other restaurants and bars participating in the event were Ragsdale's, Willy Jak's, Jeremiah's, Mollies, Rude Dog Pub, Billiard Center, Bel Air, Breakaways, Broussard's and the Pour House.

Sponsoring establishments donated $50 each for a downtown beautification project. Cain said in the past the money has been used to do such things as put roses by the openings in the flood wall.

hkronmueller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128