Joe Morris insists he can’t take the credit for bringing in the special attraction this Labor Day in Bristol Borough. But, it’s probably safe to say he had a horse in the race.
Morris, the marketing director for Anheuser-Busch at Gretz Beer Company, is coordinating the arrival of the Budweiser Clydesdales on Sept. 5. Born and raised in the borough, he said, “Finally getting to bring them home is really exciting.”
[Update: View the schedule and route information here.]
There are only three or so teams in the country of the iconic horses, which have been featured prominently by the beer company in commercials and promotions for more than 80 years. Gretz Beer Company, which is the preferred official vendor in Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Philadelphia counties, often gets access to the East Coast hitch around this time of year by piggybacking off their appearance at the Made In America concert in Philadelphia.
“We’re always looking to bring them to different communities across the four counties we serve,” explained Morris. For the holiday, “We were looking for a town with a lot of history and no parade on Labor Day.”
Bristol fit the bill, and while the exact route is to be determined, the eight-horse team is expected to travel the same route as the Christmas parade while delivering ceremonial cases of beer to clients. Tentatively, they’ll start on Farragut Avenue near Green Lane, turn left down Mill Street and then stop for a half-hour or so at the Mill Street Wharf at Mill and Radcliffe streets.
“It’s just a great area right on the waterfront,” said Morris. “It’s an easy place for people to get to and experience the Clydesdales.”
Gretz will have the Clydesdales for nine days. Due to strict rules regarding the animals’ well-being, the horses walk only 1.9 miles for each event and have a few rest days scheduled in between appearances. So far, the horses are visiting Doylestown and possibly New Hope as well, along with some one-horse appearances in other areas. On Sept. 11, they’ll be in Norristown for the Hero’s Run event.
The horses themselves are a sight to be seen, but over the past 19 years working for Gretz, Morris has become almost as excited for the people who come with them. They’re an amazing group, he said, who do their best to accommodate the animals and the crowd.
“Watching faces light up, and seeing all those people have a great time is really something,” he said. The people who lead the horses, he added, do everything they can to make sure everyone gets a moment with them.
Morris recalled, for instance, their visit to Ambler last year. The team was running a little late getting to their last destination, but suddenly the proceedings halted. It turned out there was a group of senior citizens in wheelchairs nearby, and the manager stopped the Clydesdales in the middle of the street while people wheeled the onlookers up to the horses so they could take pictures with them.
Moments like that, he said, make the events truly magical.
“We don’t sell a whole lot of beer at these things, but we make a lot of people smile.”
