A “thank you letter to the city”
It’s a free event. On September 6th, R Day returns to Seattle. It’s basically a 21+ party that takes over the streets of the Georgetown neighborhood to celebrate Rainier Beer and Seattle. Think of it as an extended, all-day beer garden with lots of Rainier-themed fun stuff, food, and music. This year, Mudhoney is the headliner.
Although it is no longer brewed in Seattle, Rainier Beer is an iconic brand that for decades was recognized as Seattle’s beer. The brand and its famous marketing campaigns were always a bit irreverent, quirky and fun, so this celebration adopts the same tone. R Day is all about community pride and beer-fueled nostalgic revelry. It is a proper hootenanny.
Many of you are too well-heeled to enjoy drinking a beer like Rainier, or at least you are too image-conscious to admit it, but rest assured that during the R Day celebration you are welcome to wander into Jellyfish Brewing, Full Throttle Bottles, Jules Maes, or one of the neighborhood’s other beer joints and get a craft beer more befitting your status as a connoisseur. Return to the streets to enjoy the crowd, the hoopla, and the music.
Iconically Seattle
As long as you’re celebrating an iconic Seattle brand why not include an iconic Seattle band. This year, Mudhoney headlines the entertainment lineup at R Day. Whether you call it post-punk or pre-grunge, Mudhoney has endured the decades. Kind of like Rainier Beer itself.
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Follow me here. Before Seattle was recognized as a craft beer hotbed, Rainier Beer was Seattle’s beer. It helped lay the groundwork for the city’s craft beer revolution. Before the emergence of the grunge scene in the 90s, Mudhoney was already creating a sound that would influence many emerging Seattle bands. The band and the beer are both iconically Seattle.
Why is there an R Day?
The historic Rainier Beer brewery along Interstate 5 in Seattle operated from 1935 until 1999. From 1953 until 2000, the big red R sat atop that building, reminding passersby that Rainier was Seattle’s beer. In the early 50s, when it became clear that soon-to-be-constructed Interstate 5 would pass right next to the brewery, the owners took advantage of the opportunity and erected the iconic, glowing neon R. After the brewery was closed permanently in 1999, and the building was taken over by Tully’s Coffee, the red R was replaced with a green T. The original R now lives at Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry.
In 2013 a new R returned to its rightful place atop the building that was the longtime home of Rainier Beer. That year, to commemorate the occasion, Rainier Beer hosted the first R Day celebration. Although the brand is now owned by Pabst and is brewed elsewhere, the folks at Rainier Beer recognize the depth of its roots in Seattle. The annual R Day is a way for the company to extend its thanks to the city. The event, like Rainier Beer, has a reputation for being a little bit weird and silly. Below, see the official announcement from Rainier with the details about what they’ve planned this year.
Rainier: A Beer Odyssey
If you’re too young to remember when Rainier was the king of beers around here, or if you are old enough to remember those days fondly, you should keep an eye out for Rainier: A Beer Odyssey. It’s a documentary that some local beer lovers put together about the iconic brand and it’s award-winning television commercials. Below, I share one of the trailers for the movie.
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Rainier Beer’s FREE ‘R-Day’ Celebration Unveils Its 2025 Lineup Featuring Mudhoney, La Luz, Tres Leches and DJ Jewel
R-Day is Rainier Beer’s ‘Thank You Letter’ to the City of Seattle
It’s officially that time of year to dust off your best Rainier-themed costume, rally the crew, and save the date. Rainier Beer’s iconic ‘R-Day’ is returning to Georgetown on September 6th, ready to take over the neighborhood streets for a day of fun, community pride, and an extra frothy helping of Mountain Fresh revelry.
This year’s musical lineup features a nostalgic toast to Seattle’s legendary grunge era with pioneers Mudhoney headlining the FREE block party, joined by the ever-dreamy surf-psych of La Luz, the high-energy fusion of punk and Latin flair from Tres Leches, and DJ Jewel, a rising star at KEXP known for her cosmic Astroplane sets that’ll keep the party swirling into the night.
Attendees can sip Rainier beer and Rainier Gin cocktails from multiple on-site beer gardens or slew of independent Georgetown bars which have kept the Old Seattle vibe thriving amidst great change in the rest of the city over the last several decades. The mini Mount Rainier photo op returns, alongside the free-to-play aRCade and mini golf course — plus clips from the now-legendary Rainier: A Beer Odyssey and exclusive movie merch.
New this year, the Doll Parts Collective will curate a one-of-a-kind Rainier merch experience featuring pieces by local artists and makers — a fitting nod to Georgetown’s DIY spirit. Fans can explore Rainier memorabilia and learn more about the Rainier Collectors Club, and for one day only, shop the brand’s exclusive merch in-person — including Rainier’s ninth annual collaboration with The Great PNW, a continued tribute to the region that shaped the brand.
Come hungry — the fan-favorite Dubsea Fish Sticks food truck will be slinging crowd-pleasing bites, including Rainier Beer-battered fish sticks, alongside a variety of other local food offerings. Whether you’re chasing live music, arcade glory, or just the best-dressed beer fans in the city, this is the kind of party only Rainier — and Seattle — could dream up. Did we mention entry to R-Day is entirely FREE to attend with no ticket required?!
R-Day began in 2013, when the beloved red “R” was reinstalled atop Rainier’s former brewery, reviving a symbol that had been missing since the early 2000s. Since then, the celebration has become a can’t-miss tradition for thousands of fans — from lifelong loyalists to first-timers. Each year, it gets a little weirder, a little wilder, and even more joyfully Pacific Northwest — and 2025 promises to be no different.
Attendees must be 21+ to join this FREE event.
Visit our events page and calendar to learn about all sorts of other upcoming beer events.
