Friday Night Trivia at Trident Booksellers & Cafe
For those who have a mind that stores random factoids or for those looking to fill their Friday night with something different, Trident Booksellers & Cafe has the thing for you.
An independent, family-owned bookstore and restaurant located on Newbury Street has been in the books for over 30 years. Other than its vast book selection and the comfort food that they serve, their weekly events have kept everyone of different interests coming back for more.
From their “Poetry Workshop Nights” to different pop-up meetings with authors, Trident has at least one event that will pique your interest.
And after many weeks of their Zoom trivia nights, Trident finally came back in-person on Friday nights beginning in April 2021. And good news, it’s free for everyone.
They resumed on the 2nd floor of the cafe where it has taken place every week ever since, like it never went away in the first place.
Trivia Night begins promptly at 7:00 p.m., so getting there early is a must.
Grab a couple friends, sharpen your minds and make your way to the heart of Back Bay for a fun-filled night.
Upon walking in, you and your team receive a small packet to write down your answers. There are seven rounds, each with seven questions and you have 45-seconds to answer each one. And a big rule to follow? Cell phone use is not allowed.
Before, during and after the event, you and your friends can order food and drinks to keep the night going. Thanks to the QR codes on each table, everything is at your fingertips.
Although the prizes vary week to week, Trident doesn’t disappoint in its incentives.
First prize was a $30 gift card to the store, second prize was Marvel-themed mini figurines, and third prize was a sticker pack.
Nearly every table in the space was filled with teams ready to score at the top of the leaderboard. With no particular theme of the night, each round quizzed us on our knowledge of pop culture to different coffee-related factoids.
Even if trivia isn’t your thing, it’s nice to see people of all backgrounds in the same space having fun after so many months of being apart.
As the rounds progressed, teams were deemed more successful than others. Two teams were tied for first place, inciting a tie-breaker question.
“How long did Queen Victoria of England reign?,” the quizmaster said. “Please give your answer in months.”
The question, out of left field due to the amount of pop-culture information that was dished out in previous rounds, left the two teams stunned. The closest number to the actual answer is the winner of the night.
“Queen Victoria reigned for almost 760 months,” the quizmaster said.
One team gave the answer of 20 years, while my team said 480 years.
With the $30 giftcard in our hands, we scoured the store for something to treat ourselves. That night, we left with a new book, stickers and the feeling of victory.
