By evening, downtown Spokane fills with people heading to dinner, catching a show, or settling in for a drink. The Spokane River runs through the middle of it all, and much of what you will want to do sits within a walk or short ride of the downtown core.
The city's nightlife is modest in scale but varied in character: a cluster of bars, pubs, and nightclubs downtown, a growing craft brewing scene, and concert and sports venues that draw crowds on event nights. It suits visitors who want an easy, low-pressure evening rather than a sprawling club district, and it works well for a night built around one good venue and a walk between a few others.
Where to go out in Spokane
1. Downtown
Downtown is the center of the city's nightlife, with a number of bars, pubs, and nightclubs, alongside restaurants and the older commercial buildings that give the area its character. It is the most straightforward choice if you want several options within walking distance of each other.
This suits a night where you want to move between places rather than commit to one. Note that some downtown venues, such as the Knitting Factory concert house, host dance club nights on a weekly basis, so a given evening's programming is worth checking before you go.
2. Craft breweries and brewpubs
Spokane is the center of the Inland Northwest Ale Trail, which includes over 25 microbreweries, and many of them serve food or work with food trucks. This is a good route for an early, relaxed evening built around a few tastings rather than a late night.
Among the named examples, No-Li Brewhouse sits on the banks of the Spokane River and offers sampler trays and pints along with a food menu, while Steamplant Brewery occupies a former steam plant and serves flights and a daily happy hour. Hours vary by venue and by day, so confirm before setting out.
3. Sports bars near Gonzaga University
The area around Gonzaga University has bars that cater to students and fill up around basketball games. Jack & Dan's Bar & Grill is a classic sports bar on the edge of campus, and it is packed when games are on.
This is the night to choose if your evening revolves around a game. Some of these places admit children in the restaurant until 10PM, which matters if you are out with a family group.
4. Irish pubs and casual gathering places
O'Doherty's Irish Grille downtown is a place to gather, chat, and have a pint, with Guinness and Harp on tap and live Irish music on Tuesday nights. It has its own rituals, including standing on the bar to sing and stapling a dollar to the wall.
This suits a sociable, unhurried evening rather than a loud one. As with the sports bars, children are welcome in the restaurant until 10PM.
5. Martini bars and bistro-style venues
Twigs Bistro describes itself as a martini bar first and a restaurant second, with a broad drink selection and a standard menu of burgers, pizza, and similar dishes. It is an option for an evening that starts with drinks and turns into dinner.
It suits a group that wants a table and a long conversation rather than standing room. Its listed hours run 10AM to 11PM, though you should verify current hours before relying on them.
6. Concert and event venues
The Knitting Factory downtown is a 1,500-capacity concert venue that hosts touring performers as well as weekly dance club nights. On the nights it has a show, it becomes the anchor of an evening rather than one stop among several.
This is the choice for a planned night out around a specific performance. Check the schedule in advance, since the venue's programming changes from night to night.
7. Casino and resort entertainment
Northern Quest Resort & Casino, in Airway Heights, is a resort and casino option outside the downtown core. It suits a longer, self-contained evening, and it requires a drive rather than a walk.
Plan transport in advance, since it sits away from the downtown cluster of bars and venues.
How a night out unfolds
The sources give only limited guidance on timing. Several downtown restaurants and bars welcome children until 10PM, which suggests that early evening is family-friendly and that the later hours are oriented toward adults. Brewery and brewpub hours vary widely: No-Li Brewhouse lists its main pub as running daily from noon to 8PM, with a bier hall open until 10PM Thursday through Saturday and until 9PM Sunday through Wednesday, while Steamplant Brewery opens at 4PM and closes at 9PM Tuesday through Thursday and 11PM Friday and Saturday. Venue programming matters too: the Knitting Factory hosts dance club nights weekly, and O'Doherty's has live Irish music on Tuesdays. In short, plan around specific venues and confirm their hours, because closing times differ considerably from place to place.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Spokane International Film Festival — first weekend of February; a weekend of independent film.
- Get Lit! Programs Festival — April; a week-long literary festival with readings, workshops, panel discussions, slams, fairs, and contests.
- Bloomsday — first Sunday in May; a 12-km all-ages run and walk.
- Lilac Festival — third Saturday in May; includes the Armed Forces Torchlight Parade.
- Hoopfest — last weekend in June; a 3-on-3 basketball tournament with courts spread across downtown.
- OutSpokane Pride Parade & Rainbow Festival — June.
- Bare Buns Fun Run — last Sunday in July; a 5 km run and walk on pressed gravel, with a family-oriented code of conduct and a narrow, winding access road that becomes unpaved at the end of the lake shore.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the main nightlife concentrated?
Downtown. The sources describe a number of bars, pubs, and nightclubs there, along with the Knitting Factory concert venue, and the craft brewing scene is centered on the city as a whole rather than a single strip.
Can I bring children along in the evening?
At some places, yes, within limits. Jack & Dan's Bar & Grill and O'Doherty's Irish Grille both welcome children in the restaurant until 10PM. Other venues do not state a policy in the sources.
What time do things close?
It varies by venue. No-Li Brewhouse lists its main pub as closing at 8PM, with its bier hall open later, and Steamplant Brewery closes at 9PM on some nights and 11PM on others. Confirm hours directly before you plan your evening around a particular place.
Do I need to plan around a specific event?
It can help. The Knitting Factory hosts dance club nights weekly, O'Doherty's has live Irish music on Tuesdays, and sports bars near Gonzaga fill up when basketball games are on.
Check the hours and programming of the places you have in mind, then build your evening around one or two of them and let the walk between them set the pace.