Make like Ken Jennings and win prizes on trivia challenges offered up at local bars.

O’Leary’s Restaurant and Pub, 260 E. Lincoln Highway, holds trivia nights at 8 p.m. every Wednesday. According O’Leary’s owner Mel Witmer, prizes are awarded to winning participants and the prizes get better as the month goes on.

“We’ve been doing it since November 2012,” Witmer said. “We were always looking to offer our guests entertainment.”

Witmer said some of the prizes awarded are donated from local vendors.

“It has been a real contributor to our Wednesday evenings,” Witmer said. “It’s a great night so come on down and win yourself some great prizes.”

Hometown Sports Bar & Grill, 241 E. Lincoln Highway, also hosts a trivia night but their biggest event is karaoke nights, said Hometown manager Zack Flagg. Karaoke is at 9:30 p.m. Thursdays; at 7 p.m. Saturdays the bar alternates between karaoke and trivia.

Trivia nights are sponsored by NIU theater students and they are responsible for the prizes given out on those nights.

“When in season we give out White Sox, Cubs or Bulls tickets,” Flagg said. “We recently gave out our two big trips to Las Vegas and Mexico for the Super Bowl.”

Fatty’s Pub and Grille, 1312 W. Lincoln Highway, also holds a trivia night at 9 p.m. Wednesdays. Its event is for patrons 21 years of age and older. Fatty’s owner Jeff Dobie said the prizes are gift cards to Best Buy and Fatty’s as well as various T-shirts.

There are usually 20 to 25 teams and they range from people playing solo to groups of four or five, Dobie said.

Dobie said an iPad is given as a grand prize to competitors.

“It’s the longest running contest in the area,” Dobie said. “This is the third or fourth year.”

Editor’s Note: The Northern Star could not reach management at Lord Stanley’s Annex, 142 E. Lincoln Highway; Molly’s Eatery & Drinkery, 1000 W. Lincoln Highway; Otto’s Nightclub, 118 E. Lincoln Highway; or Starbusters Bar & Grill, 930 Pappas Drive, for comment.