As dusk approaches, trivia fiends venture onto Court Street searching for their weekly fix of challenging questions and fun facts. However, choosing a place may be a difficult task, for a plethora of bars and restaurants promise attendees an unforgettable night of heated competition.
Some of Athens' popular trivia nights are hosted at The Union Bar, The Pigskin Bar and Grille and Jackie O’s Taproom. Each location strives to incorporate special traditions that set them apart with the hope of convincing students and locals to choose their trivia night.
The Pigskin, located at 38 N. Court St., hosts trivia every Thursday at 7 p.m. and frequently includes themes and questions from previous nights, keeping attendees on their toes.
Anna Loehrke, a senior studying mechanical engineering, is a Pigskin regular and said the atmosphere can be chaotic but exciting, as participants enjoy the intense competition.
“There are some teams that are pretty serious and are there a lot,” Loehrke said. “When the answers are revealed a lot of people start yelling.”
Loehrke said her team started playing in the fall semester and celebrated their first win a few weeks ago. She recommends trivia to those looking for a break or distraction from work.
“I feel like it is a good way for me and my engineering friends to interact outside of school because we spend all of our day in the ARC mainly,” Loehrke said. “It is just a good atmosphere, there is always something going on and it is typically funny.”
Trivia is a serious topic among locals. Bars devote hours of time and energy to creating taxing questions that will leave audiences stumped and curious.
Chad Mourning, a Middleport local, has been a trivia host for 10 years. He made his debut at Casa Nueva and eventually landed his current job as MC at The Union, located at 18 W. Union St. Mourning said he spends days formulating questions and each round is based on a distinct topic.
“We pride ourselves on being the most difficult trivia in Athens,” Mourning said. “The questions are handcrafted, they are not taken from some corporate website.”
Mourning hosts The Union’s fierce and passionate trivia nights every Tuesday at 9 p.m., and he said it is home to teams of Donkey Coffee fanatics, Whit’s Frozen Custard regulars and computer scientists who have formed extreme rivalries.
“They are not afraid,” Mourning said. “If the same team wins three rounds in a row, they will boo them and stuff like that.”
Mourning said questions vary from current events and music to general trivia topics. Pictures and scores are tracked throughout the semester, allowing each team an opportunity to win one of the several prizes.
Although some locations have their trivia nights down to a tee, others are new to the field and still finding their groove. Athens' popular restaurant and taproom, Jackie O’s, recently started hosting trivia nights on 25 Campbell St. with a desire to increase business.
“We are just trying to develop this night into something that can hopefully turn into something much bigger when the weather changes,” A.J. Castro, general manager of the taproom, said. “We have a pretty nice outdoor space that can accommodate a larger crowd.”
Taking place on Wednesdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Castro said Troupe Trivia is for pop culture lovers and people looking for a comforting and lively experience.
“I think our location is easy to hang out at,” Castro said. “It is a very laid-back atmosphere and you will be surrounded by friendly people looking to have a good time.”
Trivia buffs should have no trouble finding a hotspot that challenges their knowledge and promotes healthy competition. With prizes from sponsors and small businesses, each bar will have winners leaving excited and grateful and losers hopeful and eager for next week’s round.
