Little Red Hen Stories From You
If you’d like to share your Hen story and what it means to you, email us at savethehen@gmail.com.
From: Amy Annette
For the last 3 years I have enjoyed attending live music performances at The Little Red Hen (or “the hen” as “the regulars” call it). This historical venue has been in existence since 1933 and at its current location at 7115 Woodlawn Ave. NE, Seattle, WA since 1968.
The hen is unique to Seattle and one of the few places in the area where attendees can listen and dance to live music, as well as participate in open mic nights each week. It is where friends gather to share their lives and build community. I believe that in a world that is becoming more digitized and remote, the hen is an important in person resource that maintains and fosters involvement in the music and dance communities of the greater Seattle area and it would be a tremendous loss for the community to lose this resource.
From: Stan Hall
I’m writing to express my strong support for preserving The Little Red Hen and urge the City to consider all avenues to protect it as a cultural destination and community asset.
As the President of the Outlanders Progressive Bluegrass Social Club, a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, I’ve witnessed firsthand the Hen’s irreplaceable role in nurturing the local music ecosystem. Outlanders hosts more than five jams a week, produces monthly shows, and offers educational workshops that introduce hundreds of Seattleites—many of them young, new to acoustic music, or from historically underrepresented communities—to the joy of playing, listening to, and building community around roots music.
The Little Red Hen is one of the only venues in Seattle that has consistently opened its doors to this kind of grassroots cultural work. It’s not just a country bar—it’s a hub for connection, collaboration, and creativity. It’s where our Femme Jam series got off the ground, creating a safe and welcoming space for women, trans, and non-binary musicians to take center stage in a genre that hasn’t always made room for them. It’s where beginner players find their first jam circle, and where seasoned pros pass the torch.
The closure of this venue would deal an irreparable blow to Seattle’s cultural fabric. This is a city proud of its musical legacy—Hendrix, Nirvana, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones—but we risk turning that legacy into a museum piece unless we actively preserve the living culture that still exists here. Spaces like The Little Red Hen are essential to keeping Seattle a music city in practice, not just in name.
I urge the City to support efforts to secure Cultural Space designation for The Little Red Hen and to consider every available option to preserve this vital gathering place.
Sincerely,
Stan Hall
President, Outlanders Progressive Bluegrass Social Club
From: Deborah Riley
After attending yoga at a nearby studio and walking by this little bar with country music playing countless times, I decided to see what it was all about. I grew up listening to old country and you just don’t hear it all that often in the city. I ended up asking a friend to join me for a 2-step lesson instead of yoga that Thursday at The HEN. The lesson was fun and packed! Afterwards they opened the floor up for everyone and had a live band, which we were not expecting, but knew we definitely wanted to stick around. My friend and I proceeded to grab a drink and watch the people who knew what they were doing dance. I knew immediately I wanted to get at least decent at this, so I was soaking it in. As I watched this gentleman kept making eye contact with me as he was moving around the dance floor. My friend and I just kept talking about how smooth he was. Shortly thereafter this man was walking right toward me, and I, was full on panicking. I knew he was going to ask me to dance and I certainly did not know how. He reassured me that no skills were required to dance with him and he was right. The chemistry was instant. I ended up going back the next Thursday for the lesson, he was of course there and we spent most of the night dancing, kissing and flirting. He walked me to my car at the end of that night but still hadn’t asked for my number. The following Thursday I returned to take a lesson and he was waiting for me by the door. Paid my cover and immediately got me out on the floor. I just decided to go for it at this point. I finally asked for his number and got a date on the calendar for Wednesday the following week.
Our first official date pretty much sealed our fate. After about an hour of serious conversation we decided to hit the hen again this time for karaoke. We really just both put it all on the table. That next morning we woke up and chatted over chai while he gleamed sharing his culture and memories from India with me. It just felt so comfortable and easy. I met him at the hen that next night for dancing and some late night food he had made. I just remember it being the best thing I had ever eaten (koftas) in this amazing gravy and what I liked to call an Indian tortilla. My heart (and tummy) were so full. That next morning we woke up, had chai and chatted. We still have our chai chats regularly. So much of our life has been decided during these sweet moments.
Things moved pretty quickly after that first week. We were spending most nights together cooking, dancing at the hen, watching shows, listening to audio books, sharing about our lives, our communities, our families and laughing! We knew marriage was certainly in our future and landed on July 11th of 2024 for several reasons, but in all honesty it was on a Thursday night. It just made sense. We had an intimate ceremony officiated by a dear friend of Vishals (and now of mine) with our closest friends and family that could attend. His parents, brother, sister-in-law and nephew joined virtually. We danced the night away at the Hen celebrating where it all began.
I have too many stories to share and so many dear memories. This bar is home. It feels like a hug. My husband and I still go dancing here at least once a week. It’s a close community full of humans who care for each other, who love to dance, who love to gather and who love The Hen. It is a place we come to celebrate, to love, to learn, to teach, to feel safety and comfort. Its where we heal. To see it go would be a true tragedy.
From: Ann-Marie Doerhoff
A poem about the hen....
In the heart of Seattle where the neon’s bright,
The Little Red Hen comes alive each night.
Not a diner, no sir—it's a boot-tappin’ bar,
Where the whiskey flows and dreams reach far.
Sheri slings drinks with a flick and a grin,
Allie keeps spirits high as the night rolls in.
They’re the queens of the counter, smooth and sly,
With sass in their step and fire in their rye.
Come Monday night, the boots all slide—
It’s line dancin’ time with country pride.
Then Wednesday hits with the karaoke heat,
Where cowboys croon and divas don’t miss a beat.
Folks try sayin’, “It’s time to close down,”
But that Hen just grins in her rhinestone crown.
She’s got rhythm, roots, and a stubborn streak,
And a full bar crowd every night of the week.
So here’s to the honky-tonk that won’t fade away,
Where the twang’s still strong and the lights still play.
From: Raquel Moes
My name is Raquel and I’ve been a regular at the hen for 2.5 years now. But that’s not where my experience with the hen started.
I grew up in a small town in Montana and country music was a big part of my childhood. As I got older I started to love country dancing and would frequent different establishments around Montana to seek it out.
When I moved to Seattle nearly 12 years ago I didn’t think a place like The Little Red Hen existed, until I was introduced to it one night by a former classmate. I was immediately in love with the atmosphere, the music, and the people. It felt like a little slice of home. The Hen quickly became a place I would beg friends to accompany me to several times a year, because I was too afraid to go alone. In 2023 I finally decided to suck it up and work on my two step so I would have the confidence to dance with anyone. Not only did I gain that confidence, but I was welcomed into the community with open arms. These people have become some of my closest friends and confidants.
There’s no other place like The Hen in the Seattle area, and I know myself and many others would be absolutely heartbroken if it was taken away. It’s a Greenlake staple and a truly unique establishment that should be protected.
From: Rachelle Wright
Not only did I meet the man who I would eventually marry, I have met some of the very best friends that I ever made in the Seattle area- at our little honky-tonk. The people who come into the Hen are welcomed, then welcomed back, then become part of the Hen family, as we have called ourselves for decades- family.
I first went to The Little Red Hen in 2002, shortly after moving to the area. I'd heard a local band (Jerry & the PhilBillys) on the radio & learned that they played regularly at the Hen- every Sun. I went to check them out, ended up singing with them, then continued to frequent the Hen ever since- sometimes seeing my Hen family 2-3 times a week.
The staff (who are also friends) are friendly, conscientious of what's going on around them & really good at keeping things moving with drink & food orders, all while making everyone feel welcomed. Not every bar can say that. And the people (staff, musicians, patrons), all of our Hen family that has been coming in for DECADES- those of us who have moved away, but still feel incomplete without visiting the Hen when we're in town- those who have left us, who left their mark on our hearts & the Hen's dancefloor (our Hen angels)- all of us, our Hen family, make the Hen what it is & keep all of us coming back. It isn't just a place, but a feeling. And when you are in our group, our family, that feeling is inclusion. We're all a part of something incredible, intangible, but solid as a rock. The Hen is all these things and more- not to mention it's the ONLY country bar for miles & miles that has live bands!
On behalf of myself & my husband Blake, and speaking for our friends who have passed & would have been incredibly heartbroken to have learned that our one-of-a-kind little honky-tonk heaven might not exist soon, we implore you, keep the Little Red Hen!
Thank you for reading this & for your help in saving our Sylvia's Little Red Hen
Rachelle Wright & Blake Zieman
From: Jaimi Escarcega
I have been trying to find all the reasons why The Little Red Hen should be kept and protected and get them all straight in my mind. I don't think that is actually possible. Every single person who comes to the hen has their own experience and their own reason for continuing to return year after year. All I can do is explain what the Hen has given me and my hopes for its future.
I came to the Hen late In January of 2020 when I was struggling with empty nesting and starting into my 50s. I knew I needed something and remembered my enjoyment of dancing and live music from decades earlier, before marriage and children, divorce and single parenthood. I spent several days searching the internet and looking for someplace like the ones I remembered. I have never been comfortable with people and the whole idea was scary to me. I found a few options and The Hen was not the first place I stopped in. It was the first place that brought me back. It was, and still is, the only place that offered regular live country music and a decent dance space.
My first visit is branded in my memory. I came in early and found a stool at the bar by the dance floor. The place was packed and Darci Carlson was about to start her show. The energy was wonderful and infectious and although I only made it on the dance floor 4 times that night, I returned the next week for the dance lesson. For several weeks I went every week for the dance lesson and then again for one of the weekend evenings. I made connections and when the pandemic shutdown hit in March, those connections helped me deal with the lack of social outlet, loss of job and home. As a community we came together to make sure that The Little Red Hen made it through the shut downs and restrictions. Even without the dancing and music many of us returned through those weeks to have a meal and tip generously. People from all walks of life formed a supportive network to help each other deal with the financial and emotional losses. Sometimes just offering someone to talk to and once that I know of, forming a workforce of volunteers to help gather supplies and set up hospice so a friend could bring his wife home at the end. Seattle lost too many great businesses and small venues to the financial hits they took during that time. Happily the Hen made it through intact and the music returned.
I spent 3 years living in Port Orchard and driving over and back a couple times a month at least to visit the Hen. I know many others who are back every week with a much further drive. Every time I walk back in that door I am coming home. The community there has never failed to welcome me and support me and so many others. I have sat and spoken with people who had been coming in for decades and still return every weekend. I have danced with kids who have never been on a partner dance floor and cant quite figure out where to put their hands and feet. I have watched local musicians who are coming home to play their home town Honky Tonk after touring and playing around the country and I have seen guys who started at the open mics on Sunday and finally got to take a deep breath and do a show of their own on Sunday afternoon. 10 or 20 years from now those guys will be the ones coming home to play the Hen and remember. Five years from now those kids who cant tell left from right today will be drawing a scared kid out on the dance floor and encouraging them to come back and continue to learn. They will be telling them the story behind the memorial plaque on the wall for Billy Bodacious and pointing out the hidden secrets in the mural on the wall behind the booths. And hopefully they will be telling them how we, as a community came together to bring the Hen successfully through so that more generations can come in for their own first time at the Hen experience and story to tell.
From: Carol Robison
To whom it may concern, Please keep the hen where it is! I was making big life changes when I found the Hen and started taking lessons from Mary Ann. That was 17 years ago. That year I also met my best friend there one night, a friend of a friend had invited them we hit it off immediately still best friends to this day we've seen our younger children graduate and now have children. During our time there we met and made many life long friends, They will never forgotten. Some have passed away since those great days of dancing nightly which I did for 8-9 years. My heart will always be at he Hen. I have moved away from Seattle but every time I come home I come to the Hen. When my son turned 21 he had his first drink at the Hen with me and my best friend. I forgot to mention the bestest thing that happened at the Hen. I met my husband dancing one night, spent many nights dancing until he asked me to marry him that was 16 years ago, we had our wedding reception there at the Hen. There use to be pictures of me on the web site taking one of Mary Ann's dance classes. Those were some of the best times of my life, I found myself coming to the Hen and with that found the best friend of my life and my husband. Please don't take the Hen away from others that have met their spouse's , best friends and others who will meet their future mates there. The hen is a life experience that everyone should have. I would never trade the many years that I spent there having the time of my life. I turned out to be a pretty good dancer also . Enclosed you will find some pictures that show some of the great times had there. The Hen has meant so much to so many and I hope it will continue to do that in the future !
From: Janet Hurt
I don’t remember when I first discovered The Little Red Hen, but it was probably around 20 or 25 years ago. I have always regarded it as one of Seattle’s historic treasures. I know there is a long and rich heritage of country music in Seattle and the PNW, and the Hen, like no other venue, has been home to cohorts of excellent local talent – hard-working bands who regularly play so that dancers can dance and friends can have a good time. I’m a dancer myself, and there is nothing better than dancing to a good live band in a neighborhood venue. I’m also now one of the teachers who delights in giving free dance lessons at the Hen – which feels extra special since the Hen was one of the places where I first learned to partner dance.
The murals on the walls, the old signs outside and inside – the whole building – is a living part of Seattle history. I firmly believe the building, and the venue itself, should be preserved and protected heritage legacies. Cultural history is part of what makes a city unique, vibrant, and alive – it is essential to nourish and maintain cultural legacies for current and future generations to enjoy. Younger generations are discovering the Hen and both evolving and preserving the country dance and music traditions. The Hen is one of the very few venues where old and young regularly mingle; where people of all backgrounds, orientations and ethnicities dance together, enjoying a genre of music and dance that has an essential and fascinating place in American and in local cultural history. More than many other venues I frequent, the Hen fosters community – and it’s the historic building and wonderful vintage décor that give it context. Culture cannot happen without the physical structures and visual records that hold, reflect and frame the emotional and creative energy of the culture. The Hen is, without doubt, one of Seattle's essential cultural structures.
From: John Griffith
A Musician’s Perspective
When I moved back to Seattle last year, I made it a goal to get back into performing live music. As a drummer, I’ve played many different musical genres, but I always come back to country for the heart and soul. I discovered the Little Red Hen by chance through a random Google search for local open mic nights. I went there the next week to check it out and immediately sensed I had entered a special place.
I started filling in on a few songs during open mic nights and eventually became a regular drummer with the house band. It’s always one of the highlights of my week – a chance to see friends, meet new people, and learn new songs along the way. Now I just need to learn how to dance the two-step!
But here’s the point: The Hen is not just any old honky tonk – it’s a welcoming community where musicians and dancers, cowboys and hipsters, young tech workers and retirees all come together to create and celebrate country music in all its forms. Although I’m a relative newcomer, as I learn more about the Hen’s history and all of the musicians who came before, I am even more appreciative of how special a place it is. It would be a shame for Seattle to lose this irreplaceable and treasured gem.
From: John T. Hicks
I’ve been a regular for about 15 of my 69 years, but irregular since college days. The Hen is a cultural time capsule fostering good times, and many friends over the years. The threat to it’s survival is exactly what is wrong with Seattle, where beloved city and neighborhood institutions give way to charmless development. People from way out of county come every weekend to enjoy the warm vibes, fun crowd, and of course what comes f rom being Seattle’s only country western dance floor. Let’s win this. John Hicks
From: Greg
He walks into the Hen one hot night in the late 90’s trying like hell to hide the fact that he’s scared to ask anyone to dance. Immediately he realizes that this dancing is different. It’s not just bumping into people on the dance floor. Its couples dancing, there are moves, it’s kinda choreographed. The energy in the room is different than anything he has experienced. There is a noticeable respect for each other, the dance and the place. He wants that in his life. Long story short… He jumped into the lessons, and he was able to learn the steps and with that mastery of the skill set, his confidence in grew. Not just on the dance floor but in life as well.
This scenario plays out over and over again most nights at The Hen. And he and his Hen buddies continue to mentor young men trying to navigate the confusing landscape of interpersonal interactions and self-esteem through “The Dance”. The Hen community is made up of good people and strong male role models.
I know of no other place where a young man can quickly hone the skills (The 4 pillars of a man – Connection, Protection, Provision and Leadership) all in a 3-minute song. It may not sound like a big deal but it don’t hurt.
It’s not just a bar and its not just dancing, I tell every young man I meet “Learn to 2-step, it will change your life” it did mine.
Please help us…