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#11 – Turtle Races at Big Joe’s

2011
01.20
Big Joe's 2 & 6

Big Joe's 2 & 6

Big Joe’s 2 & 6 in Lincoln square hosts one of Chicago’s most unique events: Friday Night Turtle Races! Yes, you’ve heard right – turtle races in the bar! I don’t know who came up with turtle races, but Big Joe’s takes it to a whole other level with some All-American fun. What are the turtle races? How do these turtle races work? Well let me just tell you!

Rule #1: Buy Beer to Receive Tickets

Did someone say $8 pitchers?

Did someone say $8 pitchers?

Big Joe’s features pitchers of Bud, Bud Light, PBR, and MGD for a mere $8. For a few dollars more you can fill up with good old Stella Artois and the like. With every drink, the bartenders will give you a big strip of tickets and tables across the bar have all of their strips lined up ready to go.

Rule #2: Keep Your Tickets!

Tickets, please!

Tickets, please!

Tickets are not to be thrown out since there are six races during the course of the night and then a special race at the end of the night with all of the winners. The winner of the seventh race gets entered into a raffle for a free trip to Las Vegas. Six races with six turtle jockeys means thirty-six people will be chosen. I have yet to go to the turtle races and not had a friend or myself step up to be a turtle jockey.

Step 3: Wait for the Emcee to Call Your Number!

The Man with the Turtle Hat

The Man with the Turtle Hat

With thirty-six turtle jockeys needed, the raffle tickets are called one by one for each race. All raffle tickets are placed into a giant green bucket and numbers are read as they’re drawn. If the number called is not claimed, the crowd erupts in cheer as the holder of the ticket with the number that is closest but still under (Price is Right-style) is now the turtle jockey.

Step 4: Pick your turtle!

Pick Your Turtle

Pick Your Turtle

Everyone’s who’s ever gone to the turtle races knows that Yolanda is the slowest %#@%#!’n’ turtle in the world! Given this knowledge, Big Joe’s will have you randomly select from the tupperware to figure out which turtle you will be jockeying. There’s Lola, Lucky Dan, Swifter, Doozy, and Yolanda. Each turtle has its own personality and you’ll have to watch the races to find your favorite.

Step 5: Let the Races Begin!

Let the Turtle Races Begin!

Let the Turtle Races Begin!

Turtles begin in the center of the ring with a cake lid covering them. The winner of the turtle race is the first turtle to get to the edge of the table. Usually the turtles will quickly move out of the orange ring (except Yolanda, who is stubborn as a mule) and then the waiting game begins! The kicker here is that the first turtle out wins you a t-shirt and gets you into the winner’s bracket for the final race. On the flip side, the last turtle out also wins you a free drink so there is still a reason to go wild for every turtle race.

So there you have it, turtle racing a true piece of Americana right in Lincoln Square on 1818 West Foster Avenue. Big Joe’s Turtle Races are a spectacle to see and every person should stop in once just to get a feel for them. Everybody’s a winner when it’s turtle racing night!


This entry was posted on Thursday, January 20th, 2011 at 12:13 AM and is filed under Party, Sport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “#11 – Turtle Races at Big Joe’s”

  1. Inspiration Station: What Does Your Dream Life Look Like? « Rosie Glow Wellness says:
    January 31, 2013 at 6:33 AM

    [...] your girls together. Get your boys together. Do whatever you do, or suggest something new… Turtle races? Dressing up like a gnome/pioneer/Pac-man ghost/whatever, and competing in a city-wide drunken [...]

  2. Thursday Inspiration: Your Dream Life « Rosie Glow Wellness says:
    January 31, 2013 at 6:57 AM

    [...] your girls together. Get your boys together. Do whatever you do, or suggest something new… Turtle races? Dressing up like a gnome/pioneer/Pac-man ghost/whatever, and competing in a city-wide drunken [...]

  3. nightlife says:
    July 11, 2014 at 6:38 PM

    Heya just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you
    know a few of the images aren’t loading correctly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue.
    I’ve tried it in two different browsers and both show the
    same outcome.

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