Pop culture, geography, sports, and science; test your knowledge at pub trivia

You could easily go multiple nights a week

Keep those brain cells firing while enjoying some time out of the house on a weeknight by checking out one of several excellent pub trivia options throughout the Yamhill Valley. There are options where you can have dinner while you play or bring in your takeout order from elsewhere, for those with kids (or dogs) in tow, and for wine drinkers and beer lovers alike. 

Bierly Brewing 

Head to brewpub Bierly Brewing for once-monthly trivia with host Casey Bozell. The format is about five rounds of three questions each and each round is a different format: multiple choice, list, over/under, true/false, etc. Although the event is geared towards adults, kids are welcome. The top three teams get prizes, usually a selection of Bierly Brewing vouchers and merch. No pre-registration is required, but teams of up to six can reserve a table in advance if they know they’ll have a larger group. Bierly is a gluten-free facility and offers their full menu of sandwiches, corn dogs, onion rings, pretzels, and fried pickles during trivia. They host trivia once a month, but not on a set schedule. Check their events page for upcoming opportunities. 

Mac Market

The biggest trivia night in town is at Mac Market on the First Tuesday of each month at 6:00. Hayward is closed on Tuesday nights, but Honey Pie Pizza is open, often flanked by visiting food trucks. Bottles, beverages, and snacks from Wellspent Market are always an option. Mac Market founder Diana Riggs hosts the event, typically with a guest host from a local cultural organizations. Though occasionally there is a theme, the trivia questions are most often general knowledge. Teams of up to six compete in four rounds of ten questions each, and there’s a printed visual round as well. Prizes for the winning team are typically goodies from various Mac Market vendors.  The event does fill up, so be sure to register your team ahead of time. 

Carlton Corners & The Larson House 

Head to Carlton and Yamhill for trivia at beloved local watering holes Carlton Corners and The Larson House. At both locations it’s five rounds of five questions each with a mini crossword bonus round, and each round has its own category. Everyone playing gets a raffle ticket and they raffle off four $25 gift cards at the end of the night. Teams can collect additional raffle tickets for winning each round. They also have a redemption wheel and the losing team of each round gets to spin the wheel to try and earn points back. The team that takes the whole thing wins a $50 gift card. Trivia night is on the last (taco) Tuesday of the Month at Carlton Corners and the last Wednesday of the month at the Larson House. No pre-registration is required for teams of up to six, but the events do tend to fill up, so it’s a good idea to reserve a spot in advance. 

Chris James Cellars

Tasting room manager Kris Haley hosts themed trivia on the First Wednesday of each month at 6:30 in the Third Street tasting room of Chris James Cellars. The Carlton-based winery offers a variety of their own reds, whites, and sparkling in addition to small bites such as cheese and  charcuterie plates and spinach artichoke dip with housemade bread. There are typically six rounds: three are questions, one picture round, one matching round and one crossword. The winning team takes home merchandise such as hats or wine glasses. They prefer people make a reservation, but walk-ins are welcome if they have space. They do not limit the teams, but their largest table seats six.

Growlers Tap Station 

In addition to offering 34 rotating drafts of beer, cider, and CBD-infused beverages, Growlers Tap Station hosts trivia every other Wednesday from 7pm to 8pm. Host Sarah, who started out as a bar regular, has been leading the bar’s trivia for almost 5 years, and she works collaboratively with the winning teams to choose the themes for the following week. Trivia night is three rounds of ten questions each. They announce the themes for each round ahead of time via social media. Recent categories have included Titanic (both the ship and the movie), animal group names, Stephen King’s It, Bruce Campbell, cryptids, and famous redheads. Check the bar’s Facebook page for upcoming events. The taproom is only able to host guests who are 21 and older, but pets are welcome. They serve snacks, and guests are welcome to bring in food. Tables are first come, first served for teams of up to four. The winning team gets a discount towards their tab. 

Social Goods

Even the losers are winners at Social Goods Market in Newberg’s weekly Thursday night trivia. There are prizes for first and second places, and also second to last place. The event comprises seven trivia rounds with ten questions per round and a final mega question at the end. One round is a picture round and one round as an audio or video round. Social Goods’ trivia may appeal in particular to families with kids. There’s a six person team limit, but kids aren’t factored into that max, and the restaurant also offers a kids menu and a play area for younger kids. The menu of pizza, sandwiches, and salads as well as 35 taps and more than 1,000 cans and bottles available in their coolers is likely to appeal to visitors of all ages. The owners highly encourage reservations; people can call or text their team’s name and player count to 971-333-8466. 

The Grove 

On the last Thursday of each month The Grove, the tasting room of Montinore Estate and Landlines Estate, hosts trivia nights. Teams of up to six compete in trivia on geography, sports, history, movies, and music and walk-ins are welcome. In addition to their own wines and snacks, The Grove offers non-alcoholic beverages and beers from Mac & Jack’s Brewery.  Check out their event calendar to learn more.  

Emily Teel writes about cooking and dining and develops recipes on behalf of national brands. Mom to a toddler, she’s also an avid gardener and loves to forage for mushrooms in berries in the Pacific Northwest.

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