So you’ve read The Stranger‘s endorsements and dropped off your ballot, and now you’re looking for a place to hunker down until election night is over? Luckily, you don’t have to wait it out alone—we’ve compiled a list of places across Seattle where you can commiserate/celebrate with fellow Seattleites, accompanied by plenty of alcohol (including “Bad Hombre” and “Nasty Woman” drink specials), coloring sheets, comedians, food trucks, and more alcohol. Many of these parties are official parties for specific candidates (including Brady Piñero Walkinshaw, Pramila Jayapal, and Nicole Macri, as well as a Washington State Democrats party with Jay Inslee and Patty Murray) and initiatives (like ST3 and I-735)—and don’t forget about The Stranger‘s Election Night Party with Dan Savage. See all of your options below, or on our election calendar.
Jump to: Ballard | Belltown | Capitol Hill | Central District | Downtown | First Hill | Fremont | Greenwood | Hillman City | Maple Leaf | Seattle Center | South Lake Union | University District | West Seattle
BALLARD
Peddler Brewing Company
Supporters of I-732 (the carbon tax initiative endorsed by The Stranger) will gather at Peddler to witness the outcome of their campaign.
Populuxe Brewing
Whether it’s Horrid Hillary or Dreadful Donald, we’ll ALL win with a big ol’ balloon drop! Enjoy beer specials, Nacho Mama’s food truck, and Balleywood’s ice cream at this family-friendly, nonpartisan party.
Royal Drummer Cafe
The Royal Drummer kindly offers extended happy hour prices on this momentous, very stressful day.
BELLTOWN
5 Point Cafe
Seattle’s famous dive bar will have $2 red, white, and blue Jello shots on Election Day.
Crocodile
If you’re passionate about public transport in King County (and voted Yes on Sound Transit, Proposition 1, like The Stranger endorsed), the Crocodile is the place to watch the result. Join Mass Transit Now volunteers, supporters, and campaign staff at this all-ages party with a cash bar.
Rendezvous
Stranger contributor Ijeoma Oluo will host this “Laugh or Cry” election watching party, where live coverage of results will be paired with announcements of the results of other important races, like “which candidate likely cuts their own hair or which candidate had the best folksy anecdotes and which candidate would have thrown the best inauguration party.”
Warwick Seattle
It’s happy hour until eight at the Warwick, because the election just makes us so happy! Eat free appetizers and meet members of the Metropolitan Democratic Club of Seattle, a progressive group founded in 1956, as well as local politicians like Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes, King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles, and King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski.
CAPITOL HILL
12th Avenue Arts
Join popular theater group and Stranger Genius awardee Strawberry Theatre Workshop for a live stream of the election, plus food and a bar.
C.C. Attle’s
Watch the election on all 13 of this gay bar’s TV screens while you take advantage of their 2-8 pm happy hour.
Canterbury Ale House
Join Brady Piñero Walkinshaw and supporters to mark the end of this tendentious Congressional campaign. There will be happy hour specials until 6 pm, and all ages are welcome until 9 pm.
Chop Suey
This 21+ “Election Night Throw Down” will have live election coverage and drink specials.
The Cloud Room
[Sold Out] Apply facial spa masks, eat Theo chocolate, and drink juice and mezcal shots while the election results roll in.
Comet Tavern & Lost Lake Lounge
This election watch party features all sorts of distractions from the agonizing drama airing on the big screen: 25-cent jello shots, a “Hillary themed ice luge,” #Grabtheelection cupcakes from Cupcake Royale, and a free caricaturist. Plus, there’s a “swing state raffle” for GoodShip goodies (because no matter whom you support, you will probably want to spend the next four years high). Note: this is an unofficial “We’re With Her” gathering.
Dino’s Tomato Pie
Dino’s invites you to join them “for a nail-biting evening of great tremendousness as we project the election on Seattle’s Smallest Big Screens™.” They will have “drink specials so bigly amazing it’s going to be unbelievable,” a $17.76 “American Pie” pizza, party favors, masks, and bubbles. Plus, they have contingency plans for whoever wins: a free Andre champagne toast if it’s Hillary, free handkerchiefs “to wipe up America’s tears” if it’s Trump, and an offer to pay for your entire tab if it’s Gary Johnson.
Fred Wildlife Refuge
Watch cabaret performers from Can Can give political commentary about the election through comedy, songs, YouTube videos, and trivia. (Fake) Hillary and Donald will host, and there will also be food and drink specials and prize giveaways.
Good Citizen
Counteract the acid pangs of electoral anxiety with cozy Good Citizens’ drinks. They’ll be firing up the big screen.
Neumos
Neumos is a little vague about what will go down on this night. Maybe they’re keeping us in suspense? In any case, we are promised “[d]rink specials and patriotic surprises,” so this Election Night Extravaganza is probably a great place to watch America’s nightmare wind up.
Optimism Brewing
Pramila fans, come join your candidate, grab a beer, and watch the votes come in. Order from Plum and Napkin Friends food trucks or bring your own meal. You can even order Optimism Brewing’s special pale ale, called Don’t Boo, Vote!
The Pine Box
Watch the results in a hopefully-not-too-appropriate mortuary-themed bar.
Purr Cocktail Lounge
This party features a $10 burger-and-beer special, other drink deals, and the promise of 15 TVs on which to watch the results.
R Place
“The Biggest Gayest Election Party Ever” will be showing live results on 22 screens across all three floors. There will also be a Trump piñata, complimentary appetizers, themed drink specials (including “The Pussy Grabber,” “The Nasty Woman,” “The Bad Hombre,” “The Bigly,” and “The Russian Puppet”), and prizes for the best Hillary impersonator or best Hillary schwag.
Rachel’s Ginger Beer
In addition to a big screen for the election results, RGB will offer—naturally—cocktails like the “Bad Hombre” and the “Nasty Woman” at their “Hill-yes” Election Party. The ginger beer outfit, which also sells chicken sandwiches, encourages you to dress in “flowy blouses” or your best pro-Hillary regalia (we assume pantsuits are a-OK too).
Revolver Bar
Stave off the November 8 darkness with $5 Jameson and Espolon, starting at 7 pm (happy hour is 4-7, so you can potentially hang around all afternoon and evening getting sloshed). Also at 7: draw your cares away with Troublemakers Art Club!
CENTRAL DISTRICT
Bottleneck Lounge & Two Doors Down
This “Victory Party” invites you to preemptively celebrate electing the first female president. The TVs will be playing election coverage, and there will be extended happy hour all night to help make it all go down easier.
Central Cinema
If you’re the type of person who can stomach presidential election coverage, there is likely no finer way to endure it than with a bellyful of booze at the Central Cinema. If their plentifully available booze and reliably good menu of pizzas, sandwiches, popcorn, and upscale snacks (fiddleheads!) wasn’t enough to sell you on it, they’ll also be presenting it in Hecklevision. What is Hecklevision, you ask?
“It’s where you get to text message subtitles right on the movie while you are watching it,” Central Cinema informs us. “Haven’t you ever wanted to shout something at the screen in a theater but didn’t want to get kicked out? Now you can do that with your pocket phone and everyone will think it is hilarious.”
I know we’ve spent the entire campaign making fun of Trump, but this is the real deal. This isn’t a sly twitter reply that he’ll never read, sent only to make yourself feel better for a moment. This is you, your friends, a bunch of drunk strangers, and a giant screen upon which to prove that you are the true Trump roastmaster. There will also, of course, be bingo. Godspeed, patriots. TOBIAS COUGHLIN-BOGUE
DOWNTOWN
Frolik Kitchen + Cocktails
Congratulations, you endured campaign season this long without your body mercy-killing you! If you’re one of the 100 first people to arrive at this party (co-hosted by Crosscut, KCTS 9, and What’s Good 206), Frolik will reward you with an “I survived the 2016 Election” bag (full of travelers’ checks and Canadian citizenship forms, we hope). Watch national and local outcomes, sample some electoral snacks, win prizes in election-themed games, and get your photo taken with cardboard cut-outs of the candidates.
Pacific Place
Courtesy of CNN and AMC Theatres, you can watch the election results on the big screen and try to pretend like this election season has just been a bad movie. Pacific Place is a designated “Blue Theatre,” but other locations, including AMC Southcenter in Tukwila, are designated “Red Theatres.” Stop by the bar for a “Star-Spangled Sipper” before the show.
Pike Pub & Brewing Company
Women may have found this campaign season particularly stressful, which probably was motivation for Pike Brewing to fundraise for Planned Parenthood on election night. Just wear PP apparel or say “I’m pro-beer and I voted,” and Pike will give money to Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii.
Rachel’s Ginger Beer Pike Place
Order ginger beer and cocktails, eat free snacks, and fete the efforts of the Nicole Macri campaign for State Rep from the 43rd District. The Stranger has called Macri a “fearless progressive.”
Renaissance Seattle Hotel
Pianist, cornet-tootler, and ukemeister Casey MacGill keeps you in the swing of things while you follow election results and drink “red” and “blue” special cocktails.
Sazerac
Watch election results on Sazerac’s two televisions while noshing on the candidates’ favorite appetizers (meatloaf sliders for The Donald, oliveburgers for Hillz). Vote with your cocktails: the Over the Hillary
(“Bulldog Gin, St. Germain, Creme de Violette, Lemon Juice topped with Prosecco”) or the Oaxaca Shocka (“Montelobos Mezcal, Ancho Reyes, Lime Juice, Guava Juice, Garnished with Corn Silk”). Extra-special tip: if you don’t find any of these appealing, get yourself a Bernie ice cream sandwich and an Abstention cocktail (“Sugar cube, House Blackberry-Tarragon Bitters topped with Prosecco”).
The Showbox
You’ll already be drinking on election night, so wouldn’t you rather be drinking and watching live, unfettered democracy with Dan Savage and the Stranger Election Control Board? They’ll be working like little elves, slogging election results while you get to relax (ha!) with a beer in your hand and watch the future of the country unfold live on a big screen. What could be more American than that? (Plus, you can bite your nails about the results for the carbon tax, light rail, and the governor’s race.) You’ll either be cheering or crying, but at least you’ll be drunk. Plus, balloons! JENN CAMPBELL
Triple Door
Party with supporters of Initiative Measure No. 735 (aimed at getting the state’s congressional delegation to go on record supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, and endorsed by The Stranger) at this free party that will have snacks, wine, beer, and well drinks.
Waterfront Space
With so many places to watch, the election is becoming a decent excuse to bar-hop. Start early with Friends of the Waterfront and support sustainability, then check out, for example, The Stranger‘s Election Night Party for late coverage.
The Westin
The Washington State Democrats will host a countdown to the end of this godawful election season. Join Jay Inslee, US Senator Patty Murray, and others for some catharsis, one way or the other.
FIRST HILL
Town Hall
Attenuate the agony of waiting for the 2016 election results with local journalists, political commentators, and a host of fellow anxious Seattleites. Seriously, don’t try to do this alone.
FREMONT
The Barrel Thief
See the election results on the big screen and enjoy truly inventive specials like “The Border Wall” (“tequila, tomato juice, lime juice, bitters, rimmed with crumbled Cheetos, and garnished with a tiny hand finger puppet”—apparently not a joke) and “What Emails” (“shot of Noah’s Mill cask-strength bourbon, served with a rubber pencil eraser”).
LTD Bar and Grill
Celebrate or mourn the next four years of American history “just as our forefathers would have wanted us to – with copious amounts of beer and food.”
Nectar
This party features drink specials, games, and prizes.
The Red Door
Wear a pantsuit to the Red Door to get $1 off your first drink, including specialty election cocktails “The Bad Hombre” (mezcal, ginger beer, and lime), “The Nasty Woman” (brut and creme de cassis), or “The Iowa Caucus” (an old fashioned).
GREENWOOD
Couth Buzzard Books
Couth Buzzard Books hosts a live stream of election coverage plus commentary, political songs, and other welcome distractions, with hosts Jim Page, Sara Depp, and Jeff Roberts.
Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery
While you’re watching election results, kill time with “beer primaries” and vote on the best taps. The winner will be on sale for awhile after.
Lantern Brewing
Toast yourself at Lantern for doing the hard work of voting on our many candidates and our approximately 8,000 initiatives.
Razzi’s Pizzeria
Attend a Green Party party with Jill Stein voters and maybe some “green drinks.”
HILLMAN CITY
Union Bar
Union Bar will mark both Election Day and Taco Tuesday, with $2.25 Tecates, $3 tacos, $1 Jello shots, and drink specials—including a free champagne toast at 8 pm.
MAPLE LEAF
Watershed Pub & Kitchen
Hunker down at the Watershed with some pub pizza and beer to watch the polls come in.
SEATTLE CENTER
Tini Bigs & Hula Hula
“We’re all in this together,” says Tini Bigs, reminding you to snap out of your campaign-trauma-induced dissociative state. This viewing party features two 100-inch HD TVs and featured cocktails. At Hula Hula, Tini Bigs’ sister bar, there will be karaoke at nine.
SOUTH LAKE UNION
TeKu Tavern
The high-tech tavern offers two dollars off selected drafts for Election Day.
UNIVERSITY DISTRICT
Jet City Improv
“What better place to watch the results of this particular election than a comedy theater?” asks Jet City Improv. In that spirit, they will provide live commentary while the election results come in, and will have $5 wells and $2 Rainiers to make it even easier to handle.
WEST SEATTLE
The Admiral Bird
The Admiral Bird “will be hosting the results, dancing in the streets and celebrating our first Female president.” Send a message on Facebook for reservations. They offer discounts for “powersuits”—we’re guessing the office kind, not the Iron Man kind.
Circa
Enjoy food and drink specials and “free celebration goodies” to finish election evening.
Sound & Fog
This West Seattle coffeehouse invites you to exhale a collective sigh of relief at “end of the worst election cycle we’ve ever seen.” We have to agree that the word “end” has never seemed so beautiful. Drink some coffee or wine and enjoy the company.
