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Celebs in town: Budweiser Clydesdales draw enormous crowd in downtown Lexington

Downtown Lexington was crowded to the gills Thursday around noon.

There were celebrities in town. Celebrity horses that is.

Budweiser’s iconic Clydesdales, the outsize beasts of burden that have served as key mascots for the ubiquitous American beer brand since the 1930s, took a turn around the core blocks of downtown. And a lot of people showed up to see it.

Crowds filled the sidewalks and the median along East Main Street, with many kids pulled out of school for the occasion. The horses were hauled into town on three branded tractor-trailers, carrying two drivers, the expected Dalmatian and beer for a ceremonial delivery at O’Hara’s Public House.

Attendees young and old clamored for photos of the horses, with several leaving with branded plush replicas, which Budweiser had available for purchase.

Several roads were be closed and traffic was rerouted for the Clydesdales to clomp around as part of their current promotional tour. Officers with the Lexington Police Department directed traffic at various intersections downtown during the parade.

The horses were staged in the Icehouse Amphitheater parking lot, where the public viewed them hitching and unhitching before and after the parade.

This story was originally published April 25, 2024 at 9:35 AM.

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Jordan Lawrence
The State
Jordan Lawrence serves as metro editor for The State. He has worked for newspapers in the Columbia area for more than a decade, having previously served as the lead editor for Free Times and the Lexington County Chronicle. He has won several South Carolina Press Association Awards, including recognition for breaking news reporting, business reporting and arts and entertainment writing. Support my work with a digital subscription
Bristow Marchant
The State
Bristow Marchant covers local government, schools and community in Lexington County for The State. He graduated from the College of Charleston in 2007. He has almost 20 years of experience covering South Carolina at the Clinton Chronicle, Sumter Item and Rock Hill Herald. He joined The State in 2016. Bristow has won numerous awards, most recently the S.C. Press Association’s 2024 education reporting award.  Support my work with a digital subscription
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