A street party, with live music and lots of beer, takes place in Seattle on Saturday, September 12th. And it is free! Learn more about ‘R Day’ in the story and the press release below.
Why is there an ‘R Day’?
‘R Day’ is a big street party in the Georgetown neighborhood on Saturday, September 21st, featuring games, lots of live music, other fun stuff, and beer. The soiree takes place on Airport Way South, just out front of the big, historic brick building that was the birthplace of Rainier Beer in 1878. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. At one point, this was the largest brewery west of the Mississippi. In more modern times, parts of the building served as the birthplace of Georgetown Brewing and later Machine House Brewery. The big red R sat, and still sits, atop the second Rainier Brewery, the one up the road in SoDo, but the original brewery was the one in Georgetown.
The ‘R Day’ party focuses largely on music. This year’s lineup includes co-headliners Allah-Las and Sheer Mag, Monsterwatch, and DJ Prometheus Brown. (More about those artists in the press release.) You can also spend some time at the R-Cade playing some games. Of course, you should do all the Georgetown things, too: get some food and beverages from one of the local restaurants/bars, enjoy a beer at Full Throttle Bottles of Jellyfish Brewing, or stop in to say hello to Remy the Ghost at Jules Maes Saloon (read about that here). You can grab some ‘R Day’ merchandise, or even enjoy a tasty cocktail made with Rainier Mountain Fresh Gin. Of course, there will be a Rainier beer garden.
Long before the craft beer revolution of the 1980s and 90s, the Seattle beer scene was dominated by one iconic beer brand. Rainier Beer’s birth predates Prohibition by nearly 40 years. The brand was reborn with Repeal in 1933 and then dominated the local beer scene for decades.*
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When the old Rainier Brewery in SoDo was shut down in 1999, it marked the end of an era in the city’s brewing history. The sadness was illustrated when the big, red, neon R that stood atop the building along Interstate 5 went dark and was removed. (It’s now at Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry.) A new red R returned to the old building in 2013. And thus, ‘R Day’ was born. It’s a celebration of Seattle beer history and the Rainier Beer brand. It’s a free party for anyone over the age of 21.
These days, Pabst Brewing Company owns and produces Rainier Beer, but that does not change the brand’s place in Seattle’s history. The fact that it is now brewed somewhere else does not alter the fact that it was brewed in Seattle and was recognized as “Seattle’s beer” for over 100 years.
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*Admittedly, this is a simplified and slightly folkloric telling of Rainier Beer’s history. Read more about Rainier Beer’s actual history in this story by brewerygems.com.
Press release:
Rainier Beer’s ‘R-Day’ Unveils Its 2024 Lineup Featuring Allah Las, Sheer Mag, Monsterwatch and DJ Prometheus Brown
Rainier’s Wild Rumpus Returns to Georgetown, Seattle on September 21st
It’s officially that time of the year to mark your calendars and save the date for the glorious return of Seattle’s favorite annual jamboree. Rainier Beer’s ‘R-Day’ will return to Georgetown on September 21st to celebrate all things quirky and magnificently Mountain Fresh with an eclectic music line-up and fun-filled activities filling the streets of Georgetown, directly in front of the original Rainier brewing site (hint: not the one with the R on-top).
As a thank you to Seattle residents, Rainier offers this event completely FREE with no ticket required – just show up! Featuring an electrifying and diverse musical lineup, this year will showcase the vibey psych-rock band, Allah-Las co-headlining with Sheer Mag, a band admired for their 1970s rock sound and punk rock attitude; Seattle’s very own frenetically heavy punk band Monsterwatch; and DJ Prometheus Brown, the PNW-rooted disc jockey and legendary hip-hop artist who will kickstart the boisterous block party.
Attendees will be able to admire the Wild Rainiers, play their favorite arcade games at the outdoor R-Cade, shop limited edition merch, enjoy delicious eats from Georgetown businesses or several food trucks, and of-course enjoy eclectic Rainier Mountain Fresh Gin cocktails and the flowing river of Rainier beer streaming from the on-site beer garden or one of the iconic Georgetown bars.
The famed legacy of Rainier Beer runs deep in the Emerald City where it was first introduced in 1878. It has stood the testament of time persevering through the prohibition to its current legendary status today. In the early 2000s, Seattle lost the iconic red “R” atop Rainier’s former brewery, much to the dismay of local residents, but the “R” was eventually resurrected in 2013 and thus, ‘R-Day’ was born.
Today, the iconic “R” beams proudly over the city, and ‘R-Day’ attracts thousands of new fans and lifelong loyalists, many paying tribute to the brand by adorning nostalgic wears and showstopping costumes.
Attendees must be 21+ to join this FREE event.
Visit our Events page for information about other upcoming beer events.
