There happen to be two closely associated anniversaries this weekend. McGregors Craft Wine & Beer celebrate their 2nd anniversary. Secondly, it was one year ago that the VCSB meetup held our first gaming event at McGregors. Since that first Sunday event we have held many more events there. In fact we have held over 50 gaming events there including our weekly Boardgames & Beer public gaming event every Monday night
McGregors has proven to be a great place to hold a regular board gaming event. A great board gaming location requires a number of attributes that are not easy to find.
Location
McGregors is located on Los Angeles Avenue in Moorpark. This means close access to the 118 and 23 Freeways in sunny Ventura County.
Parking
There is plenty of free parking nearby in a well lit and open car park. No dark alleys nor long walks to a smelly and scary parking structure.
Lighting
This is not a dingy dive bar. This is a modern building with good lighting. This makes it great for playing board games or for holding other events. Never underestimate the importance of good lighting.
Facilities
Clean and large tables that are very board game friendly. Different size square tables make for flexability when setting up different games. There is also a large oval table that suits the large, party type, games. The tables are flat. The tables are clean. The chairs are normal height and comfortable. No need to be perched on tall and wobbly bar stools.
This is not a sports bar. The walls are not festooned with TVs. The noise level is low and there is no need to shout to be heard. This makes for a pleasant board gaming environment.
Beverages
This is a craft beer and wine bar therefore it should be no surprise that McGregors have a great selection of beer and wine available. Check out the local brews. There are also non-alcoholic drinks too. There is no shortage of coasters/beer mats too. So far we have had only one spill and no Boardgames were harmed.
Food
In addition to bar snacks, people can bring in outside food too. There happens to be both Jersey Mikes and Pizzaman Dan mere yards from McGregors.
Staff
Last, but not least, are the friendly staff. It is great that we have enough time to finish and pack up our games at closing time. This takes pressure away from rushing to finish a game before a set time.
Here’s to many more succesful years for McGregors and for our board gaming events there. The key thing is the symbiotic relationship with the venue. They provide us with a venue to play games. We buy their products. This is an open and public event. The public are welcome to join in with us. We welcome the public to take an interest in our activities. We bring beginner friendly games and we are willing to teach fun and engaging board games.
Tim
25th June 2018
Ventura County Boardgamers 