Correction: Winzerwald Winery’s Evnasville Tasting Room’s manager’s name was misprinted. His correct name is Fred Hillenbrand.

For the first time, Franklin Street will have a Mardi Gras Crawl beginning at 6 p.m. Feb. 8.

“We all know that our beloved Evansville street is not being utilized to its potential,”said Leah Spivey, co-founder of the Franklin Street Events Association.

Spivey, who is Tin Man’s social media and marketing director, joined together with Amy Word, Fred Hillenbrand and John Bugg – all Franklin Street business representatives – to form the Franklin Street Events Association approximately a month ago.

Businesses who participate in the Mardi Gras Crawl will hand out beads to people who check in to the businesses’ pages on social media, buy a product, write a recommendation or comment on the website.

“The beads are mostly to get people into businesses they normally wouldn’t go to,” Spivey said.

The person with the most beads or with beads from all the businesses will have his or her name put in for a drawing to receive a basket of gift cards from the Franklin Street businesses.

Mighty Cab is one of the sponsors of the Mardi Gras Crawl and will have shuttles running throughout the night, Spivey said.

According to the Franklin Street Events Association’s website, the goal of the association is to improve the life of small businesses on Franklin Street and “bridge the gap between public and private concerns.”

Fred Hildenbrand, manager of Winzerwald Winery’s Evansville Tasting Room, said the relationship between the Franklin Street Events Association’s co-founders has been a long-standing one.

“We came together with good energy of one of the best places to be in the Tri-State, and we wanted to showcase what we have to offer,” he said.

He said Friday is the last day for businesses to sign up as sponsors.

So far 41 businesses are sponsoring the Mardi Gras Crawl, with around 15 businesses handing out beads.

For the public to participate, they will have to buy a $10 T-shirt with an armband included, Hillenbrand said.

The armband allows the public to get into the businesses.

Hillenbrand said the bars have put on a bar crawl before, but this is the biggest crawl yet that will include so many businesses on the street.

The list of businesses who will be handing out beads during the Mardi Gras Crawl currently includes:

• Tin Man Brewing Company
• Lamasco Bar and Grill
• Winzerwald Winery’s Evansville Tasting Room
• Heirloom Records
• PG
• Stop N Roll
• Hagedorn’s – Since 1883
• Liquor Locker 
• Franklin Lanes
• Paul’s Menswear
• Gerst 
• Sportsmens
• Smitty’s 
• SouthWest Grafix