ABOUT AXES & ALES PARTY TOURS
Welcome to Axes & Ales Party Tours here in Raleigh. We’ve transformed a vintage fire engine into the ultimate open-air party bus / mobile pub experience! Whether you’re planning a kid’s birthday, bachelor/bachelorette party, corporate outing, friend’s night out, wedding, an evening on the town, etc.. Our Big Red Fire Truck Party Bus is the perfect ride. Skip the hassle—we handle the driving, parking, and bar stops while you enjoy your drinks, play your favorite music, and take in the sights. Operating rain or shine, our tours are the best way to celebrate. Book your ride today and let us bring the party to you!
We want to highlight that Axes & Ales is very versatile also a great fit for anything kid friendly or perhaps for a young adult. We have been a KEY part of many different people’s events over the years such as: Birthday Parties, Homecomings, Proms, Touch-A-Trucks, Trunk-Or-Treats, Daycare Socials and Neighborhood Parades.
Here is the list of different events that we have been hired to make truly special…. what we could remember.
- Party Bus / Pub Crawl
- Kids Birthday Party / Adult Birthday Party
- Bachelorette / Bachelor Parties
- Corporate Events / Business Socials
- Homecoming / Prom
- Wedding Parties
- Tailgates
- Private Tours / Real Estate Tour
- Touch-A-Truck
- Trunk-Or-Treat
- Daycare Social
- Neighborhood Parade
- Surprise Nights on the Town / Bait and Switch (Your group is expecting a ride to an after party, we are the ride and the party.)
EVAN WYKOFF
Evan is originally from a small town in New Jersey. He moved down to North Carolina to attend Ecu. Go Pirates! He currently works in technology sales and is very passionate about what he does. Outside of work you can catch Evan at concerts around town or at RDU hopping on a flight because he loves to travel!
JAMES LARKIN
James’s career is in commercial construction with a heavy interest in the development of Raleigh. When James isn’t working his day job or running the day-to-day life of Axes & Ales you can find him doing odd jobs, re-watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer or getting involved with the community.
THE ENGINE
Axes & Ales Engine #1 is a 1989 Grumman Firecat. The engine was originally purchased by the town of Belmont, North Carolina and served with the Catawba Heights Volunteer Fire Department until their merger with the Mount Holly Fire Department in 2000. Catawba Heights VFD and the Mount Holly Fire Department used the Firecat for fire suppression for nearly 26 years until it was retired from service in 2016. Ryan and Anthony purchased the Firecat in early 2017 and transformed the Firecat into a Partycat currently operating as Axes & Ales Engine #1. Then In 2021 when James and Evan took over the truck saw some major changes with the add of a permanent hurricane grade roof to never have to cancel due to weather.
THE FOUNDERS: ANTHONY BATTAGLIA + RYAN NELSON
Anthony is originally from Chicago but after his 12-year minor league hockey career joined Raleigh’s great Fire Department and made this city his home. He also made his reality tv debut in 2013 where he competed in a race around the world, traveling 30,000 miles, navigating 5 continents and 10 countries where he and his brother won The Amazing Race.
Ryan Nelson, an Arizona native, now calls Raleigh, North Carolina home. He served his country as a Paratrooper with the distinguished United States Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. Ryan’s time in the military included a month-long mission to New Orleans in 2005. Here his unit was tasked with Search and Rescue in the city during the catastrophic aftermath of the most devastating hurricane in modern history, Katrina. In addition, he served a 15-month deployment in Iraq earning various combat medals, including the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. After an honorable discharge he enrolled at North Carolina State University and graduated in 2014 with a B.A. in Interpersonal and Public Communication. Ryan’s passion for service coupled with his desire to make a difference in his community has led him to the Raleigh Fire Department where he currently serves the Downtown/Glenwood South territory as a Firefighter on Engine 13 A Platoon.