Read, Drink and Celebrate at the Library's Fifth Annual Booktoberfest From Sept. 23 to Nov. 7
release date: September 20, 2019
This fall, our librarians are returning to your favorite bars and pubs for Booktoberfest — our annual celebration of books, beer and good cheer. Join us for karaoke, a trilogy of trivia nights, drink & draw, spooky stories in bars, a Halloween horror movie marathon, and more! Be on the lookout for Booktoberfest drink coasters at events and at bars all across the city. Find a full roster of events at www.spl.org/booktoberfest.
SCHEDULE
Banned Books Speakeasy - Join us at the observatory bar high atop the Smith Tower for a festive evening of drinks, music and readings in defiance of literary prohibition. No cover charge: (free) tickets required.
- 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 23 at the Smith Tower Observatory Bar, 506 2nd Ave., 35th Floor. SOLD OUT.
Bookish Trivia Trilogy - Round up your brainiest and most bookish friends for a fun night out, match wits with fellow readers and compete to win fun prizes and surprises. No cover charge or fee, and the maximum team size is eight (no minimum). New to trivia? Singles are welcome: we’ll help match you up into teams!
- 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7 at Optimism Brewing, 1158 Broadway
- 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21 at Lagunitas Seattle Taproom and Beer Sanctuary, 1550 NW 49th St. All beer proceeds from this evening will benefit The Friends of the Seattle Public Library. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
- 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4 at The Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave. S.
Bookish Happy Hour - Grab a drink and mingle with other book lovers as you discuss what you’re reading and your favorite books and authors.
- 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7 at Loretta's Northwesterner, 8617 14th Ave. S.
Libraryoke with Baby Ketten - Belt it out for the love of books! Do you love to sing karaoke and love reading? Then this is the event for you! Feel free to bring books to swap and share, as there will also be a book exchange.
- 9 p.m. to midnight Wednesday, Oct. 16 at The Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave. S.
Spooky Films - 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays, Oct. 18 and 25 at the University Branch, 5009 Roosevelt Way N.E., 206-684-4063.
- Oct. 18: "House on Haunted Hill" (1959). A true classic of suspense, this spooky, campy movie tells the story of five strangers who are offered $10,000 each by an eccentric millionaire to spend the night in a haunted house.
- Oct. 25: "Spider Baby" (1967). Exploitation director Jack Hill’s debut film is a one-of-a-kind madcap horror-comedy. Lon Chaney, Jr. gives a heartfelt performance as Bruno, the chauffeur-turned-caretaker for the degenerate Merrye siblings who live locked up in a decrepit mansion. Their greedy relatives get caught in the Merrye web when they come to take over the estate.
'Ales from the Crypt - Just in time for Hallowe’en, we invite you to gather to hear spine-tingling tales of ghastly horror and terror from beyond the grave. The readings will last a little over an hour.
- 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22 at Palace Theater & Art Bar, 5813 Airport Way S.
- 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27 at Tippe & Drague Alehouse, 3315 Beacon Ave. S.
- 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30 at Floating Bridge Brewing, 722 N.E. 45th St.
The City as Character with Myra Lara - Join designer, activist and cartoonist Myra Lara for an evening of cartooning instruction and drinks. You'll take a short dive into how the built environment can enhance mood, embody characters and carry message. No cartooning experience necessary—beginners always welcome! Bring your favorite art supplies for a brief exercise.
- 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23 at Populuxe Brewing, 826 N.W. 49th St.
Poems to Scare the Hell Out of You! - Shambling spirits and serial killers, and things that stare at you from pickling jars: this is not your usual poetry reading. Librarians Misha Stone and David Wright welcome you to their little library of horrors with a captivating reading of contemporary and classic verse to unsettle, disturb and terrify. Come shiver in the darkness with this nightmarish start to your Hallowe’en week. This event is part of LitCrawl 2019.
- 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24 at Capitol Cider, 818 E. Pike St.
Late Night Tales at the Library! - Come gather round and get in the Hallowe’en spirit at this spooky story time for adults and older kids. When the library closes, ghosts and ghouls wander the aisles, destined to roam the stacks until someone returns their long overdue books. This event is part of LitCrawl 2019.
- 8:05 p.m. to 8:50 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24 at the Capitol Hill Branch, 425 Harvard Ave. E., 206-684-4715.
Halloween Horror Movie Marathon - 3 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31 at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., Level 1, Microsoft Auditorium, 206-386-4636. Enjoy some Hallowe'en candy and settle in for these cult-classic horror films. There will be a brief intermission & bathroom break between each feature. Schedule is as follows:
- 3 p.m. - "Bucket of Blood" (1959). In Roger Corman's horror comedy send-up of beatnik culture, a dim-witted busboy finds acclaim as an artist for a plaster-covered dead cat that is mistaken as a skillful statuette.
- 4:30 p.m. - "Little Shop of Horrors" (1960). Another Corman horror-comedy, and the basis for the later musical and film adaptation. Look for a cameo by the young Jack Nicholson as a masochistic dental patient.
- 6 p.m. - "Carnival of Souls" (1962). She escaped death... now it wants her back! Herk Harvey's low-budget cult classic must be seen to be believed.
- 7:30 p.m. - "Night of the Living Dead" (1968). They keep coming back in a bloodthirsty lust for human flesh! George Romero's original zombie shocker has become a Halloween tradition.
Book Nerd Party - Celebrate our plunge into autumn reading season! Join fellow book nerds for a fun evening of bookish games and activities, prizes, free books and snacks, buttons, bookish tarot, and great beer. There ain’t no party like a book nerd party, ‘cuz a book nerd party ends at 9!
- 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7 at Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery, 8570 Greenwood Ave N.
MORE INFORMATION
Library events are free, although the drinks are not. Registration is not required for most events. Booktoberfest events are for ages 21 and up.
The Library aims to bring people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and build community. One of our guiding principles is to promote literacy and a love of reading. We accomplish this by finding creative solutions like Booktoberfest to meet the public's changing needs and interests.