New Events On Tap at Pub

In its second semester of operation, Harvard’s undergraduate pub is looking to expand its reach with extended operating hours and a revised calendar of events.

The changes at the Cambridge Queen’s Head are designed to attract students—including freshmen and others under 21 years of age—that are not drawn by the availability of alcohol.

“There is more to this place than beer,” said Queen’s Head General Manager Scott C. Smider ’01.

Smider said adjustments to the pub’s programming are being made with the intention of offering events that are better connected to the Harvard community.

A plan to host Harvard-affiliated bands on a weekly basis will kick off this Friday with live performances by Harvard-grad bands The Main Drag and The Blanks, said Student Manager Philip R. Eisele ’08.

Other new events in the works for the upcoming year include holiday-themed events, an Oktoberfest Night, bar game competitions, and the Loker Cup Tournament—set to begin on October 11.

The tournament, which will include 64 teams of students, will see two teams square off each Sunday in various games such as pool and darts.

This semester, the pub has new hours of operation. It will be open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., and on Sundays from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Student Manager Rowan R. Sheldon ‘08 said the pub is seeking to become a study space during the day, in addition to its current standing as a place to hang out at night.

“We all want the place to be successful,” said Sheldon. “We want to get over the stigma that comes with a ‘pub’—that being that it is a place for people just 21 and older and that’s it.”

The pub is also exploring a number of ways to work with student groups, such as providing space for events hosted by the Harvard College Women’s Center and the Harvard Stand Up Comic Society.

“We want to reach out to the community and encourage them to come to us,” said Student Manager Nathan A. Taylor ’08.