Although some come to Athens in pursuit of fake IDs or raging block parties, the city is riddled with options for those who are still under 21 and don’t want to spend the night in a cop car — or people just looking for a change of pace from the party scene.
University events are always present for those not yet of drinking age, while Uptown options such as open-mic nights, trivia games and dance parties provide students with legal fun.
Trivia Night takes place every Tuesday at Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St. The bar and restaurant also plays host to sporadic dance nights, including International Dance Night and those run by other organizations.
Athens Pyramids is home to a karaoke night on Fridays. Located at 5 Mill St., Pyramids is Athens’ only hookah bar, and anybody over 18 may purchase a hookah with a variety of different flavors.
Red Brick Tavern, 14 N. Court St., is an 18-and-up bar that plays host to a variety of themed nights such as country night on Tuesdays and karaoke night on Wednesdays. Also host to karaoke on Wednesdays is The Smiling Skull, a dive bar located at 108 W. Union St.
For those who want to perform with their own instruments, open-mic nights are prolific and open to all ages. Tuesday is a literary free space at Donkey Coffee and Espresso, 17 1/2 W. Washington St., along with an open-mic night at Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery, 24 W. Union St.
Donkey Coffee also holds a musical open stage on Thursdays and The Front Room in Baker University Center hosts open-mic nights on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Athens is home to performances at The Union, 18 W. Union St., by DJ duo Dave Rave, which normally take place on Fridays. The techno dance party is open to those 18 and older and usually requires a cover charge.
Those who enjoy dancing but not electronic dance music have the option to listen to live jazz at Tony’s Tavern, 7 W. State St., on Tuesday nights.
For musical performances, bars will sometimes open their doors to minors but will mark the back of minors’ hands and charge an additional cover fee.
OU organizations also put on events during the week. OU Improv, which includes the troupes Black Sheep and Six to Midnight, holds free shows in the Baker Theater every Thursday evening.
Theater groups such as the Lost Flamingo Company also perform plays throughout the course of the semester. University Programming Council holds a variety of events, along with other groups such as the Black Student Cultural Programming Board.
The School of Music and the School of Theater produce various productions and concerts throughout the year that are usually free to OU students. The Campus Involvement Center also brings different acts to Athens through the Performing Arts Series.
Last year, the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium saw such big names as Colbie Caillat, Rodney Atkins and Phillip Phillips.
eb104010@ohiou.edu
