'Biggest bar night of the year' underway but police caution to enjoy responsibly

FOX 2 (WJBK) - Thanksgiving break is here, which of course means Wednesday night's reputation as the 'biggest bar night of the year.'

"Lots of good beer I guess is one of the pretty good traditions before Thanksgiving," said Melissa Petracaj.

Just one of the trimmings before the turkey during the annual pre-holiday bash at spots like Ye Olde Saloon in Royal Oak.

"It’s definitely one of the most hectic bar nights of the year," said Petracaj, a bartender at Ye Olde Saloon. "Lots of people, I think everybody’s in town, and they just like to come in and have a little bit of a party before you go to your family the day before."

"Just meeting up with friends because it’s all day family tomorrow," said Eric Szuch. "So it’s kind of your last time to see before the long weekend and the big game on Saturday. So just everyone does their thing."

Everybody seems to have a favorite drink to celebrate.

"Stroh’s. Detroit beer, the best beer, this is Stroh’s," he said.

But the key of course is celebrating with safety in mind.

"It feels like family, home and people having a good time but being safe also. Make sure you Uber, you know and all that," said another bar patron.

That’s because law enforcement is out in droves to keep the roads safe, cracking down on drunken driving.

We talked with Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard.

"Just don’t drink and drive, we’re going to have extra people out," Bouchard said. "And if you do drink and drive, there’s going to be consequences."

Triple-A is pitching in as well with the return of its "TOW TO GO" program.  They will send a tow truck to drive you and your vehicle to a safe place within a 10-mile radius for free.

But that’s for emergencies only - if you have no other options.

Just another way to make sure everyone can enjoy the good times.

"Everybody’s starting to get into the holiday spirit now so we’re excited about that," another bar patron said.

To use Tow to Go, call 855-286-9246.