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[StagnantSoul]

I hadn't played 43.xxx before, not since I took a break from DF due to sudden lack of enjoyment, and I hardly know how to run these taverns. I made a nice little building outside my fort, named it a tavern, and stockpiled barrels of dwarven wine and hippo roasts inside it. Lots of tables and obsidian thrones, a few statues, everything the intrusive scum could want. My fortress now has a few artifacts, lots of billon and silver crafts pumping out by the dozen, fifty six dwarves and counting, but nobody's offering to join, nobody plays music despite many instruments laying in my stockpile, only one guy recites poetry all day, there hasn't been a dance that I know of. This feature of taverns and such really interest me, but... Nobody's doing anything. Is this normal?

[Melting Sky]

How well established is your fort and how long has the tavern been up and running? When a tavern first opens you generally only get a few visitors who come to check it out. These visitors will then spread the word about how awesome or terrible your tavern is when they eventually wander off into the world again. This is when more visitors will start showing up based on the tavern's reputation. This takes time.

Some things to check:
Is the tavern properly designated?
Is the tavern set to accept foreigners, not just locals?
Is your embark particularly dangerous and do you have dead visitors on your lawn that were mauled by husked alligators etc?

I am assuming the world you are embarking in is relatively normal. You didn't do something like embark in year 2 or create a world where there are no suitable biomes for the elves and goblins to live in?

[StagnantSoul]

How well established is your fort and how long has the tavern been up and running? When a tavern first opens you generally only get a few visitors who come to check it out. These visitors will then spread the word about how awesome or terrible your tavern is when they eventually wander off into the world again. This is when more visitors will start showing up based on the tavern's reputation. This takes time.

Some things to check:
Is the tavern properly designated?
Is the tavern set to accept foreigners not just locals?

I am assuming the world you are embarking in is relatively normal. You didn't do something like embark in year 2 or create a world where there are no suitable biomes for the elves and goblins to live in?

I started work constructing the building for it in the autumn of the first year, got it done by spring and designated, and now it's the following fall. I'm guessing time's been my problem?

Aye it's set up to accept foreigners, and I've had mostly elves and a couple humans come by.

[YetAnotherLurker]

Something else that springs to mind, do you have bedrooms assigned to be usable by visitors/residents? That is, designated bedrooms assigned to the tavern location?

Also, do you have boxes/chests built in your tavern and instruments assigned to it? Visitors can't play instruments that are sitting in your stockpiles, they need to be stored in the tavern itself.

[PatrikLundell]

Rooms assigned to taverns apply only to residents, i.e. visitors who have applied to become residents, and I don't think they figure in the attractiveness of the tavern.
As YetAnotherLurker said, you need a chest (or bag) in the tavern to store instruments in, although stationary ones have to be built in the tavern instead.
However, since you actually have had visitors, the tavern is not broken technically. You may very well have a world where the other civs are struggling to survive, and thus do not produce much in the way of people to travel around to visit places. Most of my worlds have been disappointingly lacking in visitors. My half a dozen or so pocket worlds have produced a total of two visitors, for instance.

[StagnantSoul]

I did as you two suggested, thank you! People are now staying and playing the instruments I bought off the humans and I even got a lasher ask to join! I'm up to having three-four constantly milling about at a time instead of 2-4 per season dropping by for a day or two.

[Mostali]

Having your jobs list clear is also pretty important for your dwarves to do much of anything beyond "Socialize".  Doesn't apply to visitors of course.

[Nilbert]

I have a question for this thread.

I have recently posted bouncers to my taverns, you know just in case.  They stand in the bar and look tough for the most part.

That said, this has given me an idea and an all important question.  Do military dwarves listen to poetry, dance, sing, etc. when posted to defend within a tavern and/or get any leisure out of poetry, dancing, singing, etc. of the patrons? 

If they do, I think every fort needs a toga squad.  Equipped with just a toga, they are assigned to defend a tavern burrow.  If there are flasks and backpacks, they will even bring their own booze and snacks to the party.  And they will stay at the party as long as you want them too!

If military dwarves don't get any leisure out of it, then there is a perfect alternative.  Draft a squad of 12 to 15 year old boy dwarves.  Assign them a cloth shirt/tunic, cloth vest, cloth coat, cloth trousers, cloth socks, and leather shoes.  Make sure there are no flasks or backpacks available so they don't carry food or drink.  Next, assign a burrow along one wall of the tavern and assign the squad to it.  Next, draft a squad of 12 to 15 year old girls.  Assign them a cloth or silk dress and leather shoes.  Again, make sure no flasks or backpacks available.  Make a burrow along opposite wall from the boys burrow and assign the girl squad to it.  It is important that there are plenty of tiles between the two walls so that no one wanders from one burrow to the next.  Sure, it might not be a toga party, but who doesn't have such fond memories of junior high dances?