KITCHENER -- The Summer Solstice Crawl returned this weekend, after taking a year off due to the pandemic.

The event is a local initiative aimed at supporting small businesses.

“This is something that we’ve done for many years in Uptown [Waterloo],” says Tracy Van Kalsbeek, the executive director of the Uptown Waterloo BIA. “We encourage people to come and visit restaurants in Uptown and do basically a pub crawl, but it’s more like a food crawl.”

Participants will be visiting 14 different restaurants over the next few weeks.

Each location is featuring a different item for the tour.

“Arugula salad from Prohibition Warehouse, Dana Shortt and her shortbreads are amazing,” says Van Kalsbeek. “There’s ice cream as well at Scoop du Jour.”

The Crumby Cookie Dough Company has also signed onto the Summer Solstice Crawl.

Jennifer Appleby Vines says they opened their doors last March, but then closed almost immediately because of the pandemic.

“We excited to be able to participate in it this year. It means a great deal to us because it brings people to Uptown and it introduces people to different businesses that they might not have otherwise heard of, such as us.”

Normally the event would be held inside. This year however, in line with current provincial restrictions, the Waterloo BIA decided to change things up.

Instead of a traditional Summer Solstice sampling tour, participants enjoyed their food on the patio. They could also do takeout or delivery.

The Crumby Cookie Dough Company was excited to share their signature dish – Princess Peach on the Beach.

“It’s rum-spiked peaches with a vanilla spiced cookie dough and coconut streusel crumble on top,”

The Summer Solstice Crawl tour runs until July 18th.