The quiz is the most-clicked thing in the newsletter each week. We’ve made it harder, but you all keep getting great scores. Lancaster County is full of smart people, or at least people with heads full of trivial knowledge. So it’s not a surprise that on any given night of the week, somewhere in the county, a room full of people is sitting around a table trying to answer questions about obscure 80s music or random facts about a president.

A short history of pub trivia

Pub trivia, as we know it, traces back to a pair named Burns and Porter, who organized 32 pub quiz teams across three leagues in southern England in 1976. The format crossed the Atlantic in the 1980s, helped along by the release of Trivial Pursuit, and spread through American bars looking to fill slow weekdays. Looking at stories in LNP, it appears that pub trivia began to grow in popularity in Lancaster County in the early 1990s. Fast forward to today, and there are multiple trivia events happening most nights in the county.

What to expect if you’ve never been

To get started, find a few smart, competitive friends and head to one of the bars or breweries listed below.

Teams are usually four to six people, but most hosts will let you play with two, or even solo if you’re feeling brave. You come up with a team name. The quirkier the better.

The host runs three to five rounds of questions, with a break between each round for refills and arguing. Common topics for questions include general knowledge, music, sports, history, and a special themed round. You write your answers on a sheet of paper, turn it in at the end of each round, and the host reads off the scores.

Prizes vary, but it’s often a gift card for the venue.

Trivia nights tend to draw regular competitors, but everyone is happy to welcome newcomers. Don’t worry about being the smartest person in the room, but you might want to bring a friend who knows obscure 80s movies.

Where to play

Here is the week, room by room, so you can pick your night.

Monday

• Mad Chef Craft Brewing, East Petersburg (5:30pm)
• Smokehouse BBQ, Bird in Hand (6pm)
• Pour Man’s Brewing, Ephrata (6pm, music bingo)

Tuesday

• Big Dog Craft Brewing, Lancaster (6:30pm)
• Tellus360, Lancaster (7pm)
• Appalachian Brewing, Lititz (7pm, DJ Sid)
• Lucky Dog Cafe (7pm, DJ Rachel)
• Our Town Brewery (7pm, DJ Matt)
• Stubby’s Downtown (7pm, DJ Angel)
• Union Station Grill (7pm, DJ Jerry)
• New Town Food & Spirits (7pm, DJ Dustin)
• Funck’s, Leola (7pm)
• Mick’s, Lititz (7pm)
• Mick’s, Willow Valley (7pm)
• Lucky Ducks, Elizabethtown (7pm)
• The Corner at Musser, Lancaster (7pm)
• Sandwich Factory Sports Lounge, Lancaster (7:30pm)
• Shooter’s Crossing, New Holland (7:30pm, every other week)
• Jack’s Family Tavern (8pm, DJ Luke)

Wednesday

• Brickerville House, Lititz (6pm, 1st & 3rd)
• YAH Brew, Mount Joy (6pm, monthly 90s music bingo)
• Old Republic Distillery, Ephrata (6:30pm)
• Tobias Frogg, Lancaster (7pm)
• Lititz Springs Inn & Spa, Lititz (7pm)
• Southern Market Lancaster (7pm)
• South County Brewing, Lancaster (7pm)
• Stoner Commons, Lancaster (7pm)
• Columbia Kettle Works, Adamstown (7pm)

Thursday

• Grandview Vineyard, Mount Joy (6:30pm, 1st Thursday, themed)
• Southern Market Lancaster (7pm, DJ Sid & Mandy)
• Lancaster Distilleries Boring Bar (7pm, DJ MGD)
• Union Station Grill (7pm, music bingo, Mr. Bill & Lori)
• Spring House Brewing, Lancaster (7pm)
• Columbia Kettle Works, Columbia (7pm)
• Funck’s, Leola (7pm)
• Mick’s, Lititz / Willow Valley / Mount Joy (7pm)
• Beanie’s Bar & Grill, Mount Joy (7:30pm)

Friday

• Starview Brews, Columbia (7pm, music bingo)

Saturday

• Old Republic Distillery, Ephrata (6:30pm, 3rd Saturday, themed)

Tips for your first time

A few things that help you have a great time:

• Get there early. Some of the bars fill up fast on trivia night.
• Pick the venue that fits the night you want. Want the most forgiving entry point? Southern Market. It’s big enough for a new team to join without anyone noticing. Want a real shot at winning? Head to a smaller neighborhood bar like Brickerville House. If you want to really test yourself, try a college bar like Jack’s.
• Build a balanced team. If you’re really trying to win, invite friends who are into history, music, sports, and film/TV. But this should really be more about a fun time with friends than dominating the event.
• Always submit an answer. An educated guess beats a blank round.
• Follow the hosts. Both Cheaters Never Prosper and Thirsty for Knowledge post weekly themes (and sometimes clues) on Facebook pages.

If you go, tell them the Review sent you. And then tell us how you did.