Trivia has become a weekly tradition for locals and college students across Boone. Almost every night of the week, restaurants transform from their usual dining routine into a place full of friendly competition, clever team names and lively fun.

Starting the week off, Fizz Ed, a Howard Street restaurant that opened in 2024, is making a splash for itself with their dual trivia nights. Every Sunday, they host two different trivia games that cater to all ages: a family-friendly game at 6:30 p.m., and then a late night trivia, geared more towards adults, which starts at 9:30 p.m. At 10 p.m., the game becomes 21 and up. 

Amy Forrester, the owner of Fizz Ed, shared that the restaurant started the trivia nights because they were looking for ways to have a good time and bring people out. 

“We’re focused a lot more on fun than anything else, so we just try to keep it light hearted and kind of keep the content different every week, so we’re mixing stuff up and everybody can have a good time,” Forrester said. 

Lily’s Snack Bar, a local bar on Blowing Rock Road and a short walk from campus, draws a crowd for trivia on Mondays at 7 p.m. 

SouthEnd Brewing Co., a restaurant on King Street, has been throwing trivia nights every Monday since they opened in the fall of 2023.

Megan Kevorkian, a co-owner of SouthEnd, wrote in an email that each game has in-round prizes that include appetizers and small gift certificates to SouthEnd. The final prize for the evening includes larger gift certificates and pint glasses. To encourage regulars to play, there is a grand prize for the team that has the most points overall at the end of the semester. 

“We have many regulars who have been with us from the start,” Kevorkian wrote. “Our new host, for the semester, has been a regular since the beginning. And we even have a team that had a stamp made with their team name on it. We also have new people come in every week, everyone is welcome to play.” 

Basil’s, a pasta and sandwich shop on Wilson Drive, Rivers Street Ale House and Howard Station, a barbeque restaurant on Howard Street, hold trivia at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. Basil’s likes to keep things competitive, and regulars know they can sign up to receive three clues for each game on Basil’s website. 

By midweek, Boone’s trivia scene is in full swing. 

Booneshine Brewing Company, leads trivia every Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. Open to all ages, anyone can participate and win a restaurant gift card.

Restaurants on King Street provide easy access for students and locals alike to play trivia. The Local kicks off their Wednesdays with live music from 6-9 p.m. and trivia at 10 p.m. They run five rounds of trivia with questions about everything from current events to music. 

Another King Street hot-spot, Elevation 3333 hosts trivia on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. The top three teams or players win gift cards to Elevation 3333.

“Everyone that does do it is pretty regular about it, they’re all here every Wednesday and they get really into it and have a lot of fun,” said Stacie Brewer, a server at Elevation 3333.

Lost Province Brewing Co., known for its craft beers and wood-fired pizzas, has trivia every Wednesday at 7 p.m. It typically consists of four themed rounds with 15 questions each. 

Lost Province’s trivia differs from other restaurants because it is played completely digitally. Players scan a QR code to access the questions shown on TV screens. 

Alyssa Hasty, the marketing coordinator for Lost Province and Coyote Kitchen, has coordinated each restaurant’s trivia nights since 2023. 

“Our trivia welcomes so many different people, it’s really amazing to see the sense of community that comes with it,” Hasty wrote in an email. “I also absolutely love when we have returning teams, people create weekly traditions and we feel so lucky to be a part of it.”

Thursdays belong to Appalachian Mountain Brewery, which rounds out Boone’s weekly trivia nights at 7 p.m. Teams play eight rounds of trivia to determine the winner of a gift card to AMB. 

Trivia nights are more than just a game; they are a way of people together, with communities formed as players test their knowledge and compete for prizes and esteem. Whether a trivia regular or a newcomer, there’s a place for everyone to play.