PEI

Charlottetown's Upstreet Craft Brewing holds colouring event

It's not something you normally see in a bar, but one Island brewery invited their customers to try some old-fashioned colouring as they sipped their beer on Wednesday night.

Customers line up to try adult colouring at brewery

Colouring isn't just for kids any more, as the childhood staple has moved into the bars. (CBC)

It's not something you normally see in a bar, but one Island brewery invited their customers to try some old-fashioned colouring as they sipped their beer on Wednesday night.

Charlottetown's Upstreet Craft Brewing hosted an adult colouring night.

It's a new hobby that's taken off in the past year, and the people at Upstreet thought it might fit well with their clientele.

Marina Fay says adult colouring is all about socializing and not being distracted by technology. (CBC)

Marina Fay decided to try it out and found out bars are a lot different from when she used to hang out in them.

"We would go to a bar to drink and dance, but I look around here tonight and it's just amazing to see all these people sitting around, having a nice drink and chatting and colouring," she said. "It's so intriguing and amazing ... it's absolutely amazing."

Although she hasn't coloured in 20 years, Fay said she finds the whole experience appealing.

"It's a new way to socialize and have nice conversations with friends," she said. "It's all about the socializing I think and what a neat way to do it, we're not distracted by technology, we're not distracted by TV's. This way you're sitting, you're colouring and you're having a nice time with your friends and family, and you meet new people."

That's pretty much what Mikey Wasnidge, the marketing and special events manager for Upstreet, had in mind when he came up with the idea.

Mikey Wasnidge, the marketing and special events manager for Upstreet Brewery, came up with the idea. (CBC)

"The more consumed we become with digital media and our phones, the more we desire a way to escape that a little bit," he said. "This is a great opportunity to set that aside and relax."

Pencils, markers, pastels and colouring sheets were provided, although people were also invited to bring their own colouring books.

"I think everybody has a creative side to them, they might not consider themselves artists, but everyone is wanting to release that a little bit and revisit what it's like to be a kid again," said Wasnidge.

There were a lot of would-be kids at the event, with every table filled and a lineup to get in.

Wasnidge said based on the success of this first try, they are ready to host more.

With files from Jessica Doria-Brown