Bates College
- Nightlife

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Bates College - Nightlife - College ProwlerCollege Prowler2.31

Nightlife

Quick Stats

Primary Areas with Nightlife Sabattus Street
Student Favorites
  • The Blue Goose Tavern
  • Gritty's
  • Guthrie's
  • Pub 33
Other Places to Check Out
  • Applebee's
  • Del’s Bar and Grille
Local Specialties
  • Allagash White Beer: Bates alumni Jason Perkins ’97 is a 10-year veteran brewmaster at the Allagash brewery
  • Coffe Brandy: It's the most popular drink in Maine!
  • Gritty’s Original Pub-style Beer:
Favorite Drinking Games
  • Beer pong/Beirut
  • Card games (Kings, A$$hole)
  • Century Club
  • Flip cup
  • Newman Day
  • Power Hour
  • Quarters
  • Thumper
Useful Resources for Nightlife
  • The Bates Daily
  • The Daily Jolt
  • The Student

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Bates students have a number of different options when they want to get wild and crazy. By far, the most popular choice is on-campus parties. Because of Bates’ relaxed alcohol policy and the absence of frats or sororities, most parties take place in dorms, usually in the hallway, and involve a lot of beer pong and card playing. Off-campus parties are popular among upperclassmen because they grow tired of typical drunken freshman parties. Off-campus parties usually involve a number of different rooms in one apartment, which gives partiers the chance to move around and hang out with different groups of people. Carding tends to be strict in Maine, so only students who are over 21 can go into bars. Even people who are of-age tend to stay on campus when they’re drinking because the bars and pubs in Lewiston aren’t all that great. A few people will go to Portland on the weekends, where the bars are much better, and there are quite a few clubs worth going to, as well.

It’s safe to say that drinking dominates the social scene at Bates. The school organizes a number of chemical-free activities on the weekends, but these are usually sparsely attended. Alcohol is easy to get, and there’s never any trouble finding a party. Off-campus parties are better, but Batesies still show the same unhealthy attitude toward alcohol no matter where they are: it’s not worth drinking unless you’re going to get so plastered that you can’t count your toes. Many Batesies would rather sit in the hallway and drink a case of Milwaukee’s Best than go to a pub, have a few pints of Bud, and play some pool. Dorm damage on campus is high, and, in the past, students have been hospitalized for alcohol-related causes. Not all parties on campus send students to the hospital, but the trend on campus leans toward funnels, keg stands, and beer pong. Students who wish to avoid the party scene, however, are capable of doing so with little to no trouble.

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Bates Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Nightlife at Bates College

f3z3c3

'11

Economics

4.2
A-

Lewiston Can Be Fun!

The Bates' nightlife is definitely what you make it. Pub 33 and the Blue Goose are an easy walk from campus! House parties and dances are also eventful! You can always find a game of beirut or kings nearby.

Oct 04, 2011

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Nightlife at Bates College

ebr

'09

Biology

4.6
A

Always SOMETHING Going on.

Even if you're a freshman, you're bound to find something going on.

Jan 24, 2011

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Nightlife at Bates College

Anonymous

Student

Parties are mostly in people’s...

Parties are mostly in people’s houses or dorms. They are almost always centered on drinking games, most notably Beirut. The bar scene in Lewiston isn’t great. The Blue Goose and Pub 33 are some of the popular spots within walking distance. People often go to Portland, which is only about 45 minutes away, to party.

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Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the off-campus bar and club scene on the following topics

What is the party scene like on campus?

What’s the best way to get to the popular nightlife spots?

Facts

Club Crawler

Clubs in Lewiston are few and far between, and people from larger cities might hesitate to call the establishments in Lewiston “clubs” at all. There were a few places Batesies would go to dance in the past, but they have since closed down, so most students stick to the few pubs and bars within walking distance from campus. Students are more likely to attend dances or throw spontaneous parties in their rooms. Dress in Lewiston clubs tends to be more casual than the norm.

Bar Prowler

Bars in Lewiston are sort of a mixed bag. They vary from place to place, and from night to night. Most Batesies go to the same few bars, without exploring any others, so if you’re looking to run into other students, you should stick with the Blue Goose or Pub 33. Bars in Portland have a lot more to offer, and some Batesies will choose to go there on the weekends instead of staying in Lewiston.

Closing Time

1 a.m.

Cheapest Place to Get a Drink

Pub 33 on discount nights.

Organization Parties

Some organizations sponsor “unofficial” parties, advertised by word of mouth; plenty of students will show up, even those who have only the vaguest connections to the organization involved. Organizations often blue-slip lounges and register kegs for parties, usually charging students a minimal fee for a cup.

Bar ListingsWhat's This?

Pub 33

A few doors down from the Blue Goose, and about the same walking distance from campus, Pub 33 is a medium-sized bar with three pool tables and limited seating space. No dance floor here; Pub 33 is a favorite place to go to catch a game on TV and have a brewski! Wednesdays are karaoke nights and the occasional band will play on weekends. Batesies go on Thursday nights, when the pub sells Miller High Life for 75 cents. There are plenty of specials and a good selection on tap, though the Pub could certainly do better with their selection of mixed drinks. Batesies usually take up Pub 33 on weekdays for a lazy drink and good conversation. Food is also offered until closing–the jalapeño poppers are a must and aren’t too spicy. On weekends, it’s more of a pit-stop bar; you stop at Pub 33 before going to a Bates party.

33 Sabattus St.

Lewiston

(207) 786-4808

She Doesn't Like Guthries

More commonly known as Guthries, many Bates students will come to listen to live music, while eating a burrito or Panini and sipping a glass of wine or beer. Guthries is about a 20-minute walk from campus and is usually frequented earlier in the evening before going to the bars or Bates parties. Students have rented out the space in the past for birthday parties and live performances by Bates’ student bands. Guthries is where you come for a relaxed evening with good friends, or to pre-game for a late-night party.

115 Middle St.

Lewiston

(207) 376-3344

The Blue Goose Tavern

Bates students have been frequenting the Blue Goose since the 1930s and it is a popular bar for Batesies to go to on Thursday nights. “The Goose,” as it is known to all students, has been in the vocabulary of Batesies for almost four decades. It is a favorite venue for students who have just come of drinking age, seniors looking to find a nice place to hang out with fellow classmates, and visiting alumni. The Goose is a very tiny dive bar within walking distance of campus. The Goose offers ample discounts for college students on selected nights. There is no dance floor (just have a seat and enjoy the extremely cheap brew). There are two arcade machines and a foosball table. The Goose has been a Bates favorite for years; names of alumni from as far back as ’86 can be found on the walls of the bathroom!

69 Sabattus St.

Lewiston

(207) 783-3287

www.grittys.com/

Gritty's

Located over the bridge across the Lewiston-Auburn line, Gritty’s is the place to go for a casual pint and dinner while watching a game or listening to a local band play. You can walk there in 40 minutes, though it is more convenient to drive there, especially at night. The pub brews its own beer, such as Original Pub Style, Best Brown Ale, Scottish Ale and Halloween and Christmas Ales around the holidays. Discounts are offered for food on certain nights, such as the Wednesday $5.99 burger special. Bates favorites include the sweet potato fries, spinach-artichoke dip, chicken wings and burgers. The macaroni and cheese is delicious, but order it without the jalapeño peppers if you don’t like spice and be wary that “half” could fill two people.

68 Main St.

Auburn

(207) 376-2739

What to Do if You're Not 21What's This?

Chase Hall Committee

The Chase Hall Committee offers several non-drinking activities for students, bringing musicians, hypnotists and comedians to campus. If you want to see a movie, but can’t get off campus, the Filmboard shows recent movies for $1that may not even be on DVD yet; past films have included “The Dark Knight,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Superbad.” A cappella concerts are popular, especially during Parent’s Weekend and Winter Carnival; other than that, performances are limited. Bates also has a strong theater department that puts on main stage productions, one-acts, limited musicals and smaller productions that are all well-worth checking out.

Under-21s pretty much stay on campus, where there is no lack of free beer, especially for girls. Bars in Lewiston are really strict about carding people, since so many of the students at Bates are underage. However, occasionally The Goose doesn’t card on weeknights if you look old enough. There aren’t really any under-21 clubs in Lewiston, but if people are willing to go to Portland, the Industry is a decent nightclub for you youngsters.

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Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at Bates

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Hometown: Farmington, CT

Major: English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a Spanish minor

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