Trivial but Serious Fun

Trivia games are alive and thriving in Central Oregon.

There’s a game to be played somewhere most every night of the week. Check out the Source calendar for a complete listing every week. I managed to hit four over the past fortnight.

First on my list was JC’s because it adds a physical challenge to every contest. This time each team had to fold a sheet of paper into an airplane and see whose could fly the farthest. The winner went rogue, floating high behind the bar and nearly landed in the deep fat fryer. Other physical challenges might include musical chairs or limbo.

About 20 teams competed for prizes during a Trivia on the Moon night at Silver Moon Brewing. Credit: Richard Sitts

Cole Butler has his own company, QuizHead.games, and was hosting the game at JC’s, where the downtown bar averages around 10 teams each week. After nine rounds of six questions each, three teams — Trivia Newton John, Carved Up Hams and Something Good — ended up in a tie for first.

Butler loves playing trivia himself, but with his schedule, has little time to do it. He hosts games five nights a week: Sunday at On Tap, Monday at Greg’s Grill, Tuesday at Boneyard, Wednesday at JC’s and back to Boneyard on Thursday for a new “Trivia-adjacent game show.”

He has two others who assist in hosting the games — Kat Casey at The Vault in Redmond on Wednesdays and Bri McNeil at Ponch’s Place in Bend on Thursdays.

“I wrote my first game using the QuizHead name in Iowa in 2008, but started hosting regularly in 2015 after moving to Bend,” Butler wrote in an email. “The brand and trademark, all the graphic design and marketing, and of course, the question writing, are all done by me.” He says he’s also put on trivia games in Maine and Wisconsin.

Boneyard Bouts

Butler was holding court on a recent Tuesday night at Boneyard, which has a reputation for being one of the tougher trivia contests in the area, drawing former “Jeopardy” champions to the pub on Division Street. Dave Meddish, who won his bout on the brainy game show in 2006, is still a regular. Former Bend resident and 2018 “Jeopardy” champion Rachel Lindgren also used to attend but has since reportedly moved to Corvallis. On this night, Meddish and his teammate, Paul Poncy, finished in first place, though Meddish admitted that he does not win every time.

Players here were serious… serious about having fun! I sat near the team, Correctile Dysfunction, whose members wore funny little pointy party hats in solidarity and were having a seriously good time.

Boneyard employee Anya Katz was playing solo this night, but managed to tie for third place.

Members of Correctile Dysfunction add to their trivia frivolity by constructing a tower of objects on their table at the Boneyard Pub on Division Street. Credit: Richard Sitts

“It’s fun to do with my parents and it’s also nice to learn new things,” she says. Even the casual observer can learn a lot attending these contests.

Regular Ross Hallett was also playing as a one-person team.

“Some nights everything just falls into place,” he says, adding that other nights the experience can be humbling. “But it’s only trivia, so no big deal. It’s also a very good networking environment.” He also plays with teammates and regularly changes the topical team name. In light of current events, the current team name was Are You Serious?!

Gee-Whiz at Pinky G’s!

On Wednesday nights it’s name-that-tune bingo at Pinky G’s on south Third Street. Host Leah Latham, aka DJ Kurlz at Flip Flop Sounds, plays generous sound bites over loudspeakers, testing players’ musical knowledge. In typical trivia fashion, each round has a different theme: songs that have to do with weather; modern country; and hits from the ’80s. Whoops and hollers ring out as the song snippets are played, and singing along is highly encouraged.

Also in typical trivia fashion, between each round teams trade and grade their answer sheets with other teams, keeping everyone honest. Sometimes there are prizes for the winners and other times just bragging rights. Prizes are merely icing on the trivia cake; players come out for the fun and camaraderie.

Trivia on the Moon

Trivia regulars here pack the main room Thursday nights at Silver Moon Brewing in downtown Bend. But beginning April 17, the games move to the outside patio. About 20 teams go at it, mulling over themes on sports idioms, national forests, “The Simpsons” film parodies, children’s books and magazines’ inaugural covers.

The room is boisterous and happy, as hosts Chase Reynolds and Jeff Gartzke take turns reading and re-reading the questions over the din. And as is true with other trivia contests I observed, the harder the questions, the quieter the room becomes.

Trivia contests might bring the mirth and merriment, but perhaps they aren’t so trivial after all. This is serious fun.

Check the Source calendar at bendsource.com for regular local trivia offerings.

This article appears in Source Weekly April 17, 2025.