Summer Hours, Game Night & Everything We've Been Up To
Summer Is Here — And So Is Game Night
It's been a minute since our last update, and honestly? A lot has happened. Friday Night Live found its footing, the taproom has been buzzing on Thursday trivia nights, and now — just in time for summer — we're adding something brand new to the lineup.
But first: summer is officially here at the lake, and we have a few things to share.
Summer Hours Are Here 🌞
The days are longer, the lake is calling, and we're adjusting our hours to match the season.
Starting Tuesday, May 27th, 2026, Waganupa summer hours are: Wednesday – Saturday | 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
(Check our Events on Tap page or follow us on Facebook for the most up-to-date hours — we'll post any changes there first.)
What You Missed Since March
When we launched Friday Night Live back in March, we weren't sure what to expect. What we got was even better than we hoped.
Over the past few months, the taproom has welcomed some incredible talent for Friday Night Live. Since launching in March, we've had Michael Russell, JT Horne, Max Minardi, Amber Mae, Jared Nels, Feather River Revival, Chad Bushnell, and Olivia Vega & Special Guests Dani Ware and Josh Montgomery take the stage — each one bringing something totally different to the room and making Friday nights at Waganupa something worth planning your weekend around.
And we're just getting started. Still to come through June: Danny Horton (May 22), Jason Judy's solo debut (May 29), the return of Olivia Harms (June 5), Amber Mae back for her third time (June 12), Farrow and the Peach Leaves (June 18), Michael Russell returning on Juneteenth (June 19), Chicken Fried Cats closing out Father's Day weekend (June 20), and Roger Jaeger wrapping up the month on June 26th.
If you haven't made it out yet, now's the time. Summer Fridays at the lake with live music and a cold pint are a pretty hard combination to beat.
Thursday Trivia has kept the mid-week crowd sharp and competitive. Torie has been running a seriously fun show every week, and the themes keep getting better. If you've never done trivia night with us, grab three to five of your smartest (or most confidently wrong) friends and come give it a shot.
A Thank-You That's Long Overdue 🍺
We don't say this enough, so we're saying it now — loud and clear.
Thank you.
When Scotty and Chelssa took over Waganupa about a year and a half ago, they stepped into something that already meant a lot to this community. That's not a small thing to inherit. The Lake Almanor area has a spirit to it — loyal, warm, genuinely proud of what's local — and from day one, you showed up for us.
You filled the taproom on slow Thursdays when we were still finding our footing. You cheered on musicians you'd never heard of. You argued over trivia answers like the fate of the world depended on it. You brought your neighbors, your out-of-town guests, your parents visiting for the weekend. You left kind words online, told your friends, and kept coming back.
That's not something we take for granted. Not for a single shift.
Waganupa has always been more than a brewery — it's a gathering place. A spot where the lake crowd and the locals mix, where you can sit at the bar alone and leave with new friends, where Thursday nights feel like a small town doing exactly what small towns do best. You made that possible. You still make it possible every time you walk through the door.
We're heading into summer with more events, more music, more nights worth showing up for — and we genuinely cannot wait to share them with you. This community is the reason we keep dreaming things up.
So from all of us at Waganupa: thank you. For the support, the laughs, the feedback, the loyalty, and the love. It means everything.
Now come celebrate with us. The pints are cold and the leaderboard is ready. 🏆
Introducing: The Waganupa Game Night Gauntlet 🏆
Here's the big news.
Starting Saturday, June 6th, we're launching a brand new weekly Saturday night event — and it's unlike anything we've done before.
The Waganupa Game Night Gauntlet is a rotating team competition that turns the taproom into a full-on game night every single Saturday. Teams of four to six compete across different game formats, earn points on a master leaderboard, and battle it out for bragging rights at the end of the night.
The best part? The lineup changes every week. Here's how the rotation works:
Week 1 — Adult Indoor Game Stations: Four competitive table games running simultaneously. Teams rotate through Codenames, Wavelength, Skull, and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. If you know these games, you already know it's going to be a good time. If you don't — you're about to find out.
Week 2 — Family Game Night: Kids six and up are welcome for this one. Same competitive Gauntlet format, swapped out for games the whole family can play together. We'll also have some non-alcoholic options to make sure the younger crowd feels at home.
Week 3 — Additional Indoor Table Games: A fresh rotation of games — darts, shuffleboard, and more — to keep things interesting for the regulars.
Week 4 — Outdoor Games Tournament: One game, the whole crowd, bracket-style competition outside. Cornhole, Giant Jenga, Kubb, Ladder Toss — a different featured game each month.
Every Saturday starts at 6:00 PM. It's free to play — just show up, sign in, and we'll get you on a team.
Pre-formed teams are welcome, and so are solo walk-ins. We'll sort everyone out at the door.
Why We're Doing This
Honestly? We wanted something for Saturday nights that felt different from everything else on the calendar.
Friday Night Live gave Fridays a heartbeat. Thursday Trivia made Thursdays something to look forward to. Saturday was the missing piece — and Game Night Gauntlet is it.
The goal is simple: give you a reason to gather, compete, laugh, and stay a little longer. Games do that better than almost anything else. There's something about a leaderboard with your team's name on it that makes a pint taste just a little better.
We're also planning to grow this into a season league format down the road — weekly standings, returning champions, the whole thing. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Come try it first.
Mark Your Calendar
Here's June at a glance:
Every Wednesday Now open! 4–9 PM — stop in, grab a pint, settle in Every Thursday Trivia Night with Torie — $10/person, 6–8 PM Every Friday Friday Night Live — live music, 6 PM June 6 (Sat) 🏆 Game Night Gauntlet LAUNCH — Adult Indoor Stations June 13 (Sat) Game Night Gauntlet — Family Game Night June 20 (Sat) Game Night Gauntlet — Additional Indoor Table Games June 27 (Sat) Game Night Gauntlet — Outdoor Tournament
Check the full calendar at waganupabrewing.com/events for the latest additions — Friday Night Live artists, special events, and anything else we cook up this summer.
Come Find Us
Summer at Lake Almanor is short and sweet. We plan to make the most of every week of it — and we'd love for you to be part of it.
Whether you're a regular who knows exactly where you're sitting, a summer visitor who just found us, or someone who's been meaning to stop in since last fall — the taproom is open, the taps are flowing, and there's always something happening.
Pull up a chair. Summer's waiting.
🍺 Waganupa Brewing Co. | 401 Peninsula Drive, Lake Almanor, CA | waganupabrewing.com