Recently, several events and mixers geared toward singles hoping to meet others, whether for friendship or romantic relationships, have been making their way to various venues throughout the metroplex. These functions are designed to allow those in attendance to connect with one another and engage in face-to-face conversations in casual, inviting settings.
Dallas-area resident Alexis Derrow said she enjoys the opportunity to meet people in in-person situations and has attended business clubs, after-mass events, speed dating, cooking class, and run clubs.
“I always have a blast at mixers,” she said. “You can have a good time with anyone for an hour. At a minimum, it’s a field trip or a psych experiment.”
And there are events and mixers for a variety of interests. Dallas resident Nathaniel Medrano recently attended a Dallasites101 pickleball mixer at a new pickleball facility called At Fault in Farmers Branch. Medrano said the event hosts and facility staff were quite welcoming, helping him feel more at ease. Events like this one typically require the purchase of a ticket, which in this case also included a fanny pack, electrolytes, one free drink from the bar, and unlimited court time.
“The amount of court time I got was worth the price of admission alone—the fanny was just an added bonus,” Medrano said. “My main goal for this event was to meet new people to play pickleball with. The Dallasites101 hosts and At Fault staff were very kind and went out of their way to introduce me to other individuals at the event.”
While his overall win might have helped his experience at this particular mixer, Medrano said he is glad he attended, noting that he thinks what makes events of this sort so appealing is the overall atmosphere in which individuals seem friendly and approachable and are willing to engage in conversation. And if nothing else, Medrano might have some new pickleball friends.
“I was shocked to hear the various areas across the metroplex people were from,” he said. “I hope to link up on the courts again with the folks I exchanged information with.”
Dallasites101 and other local entities have also recently hosted several speed dating events, most of which have certain age ranges for attendees. Over the last month or so, Dallas resident Lucy Keith has attended a few of these events held by various companies and said she has enjoyed the opportunity to meet new people and have in-person conversations.
“As a woman, I felt very safe and in control at each event,” she said. “The organizers make sure everyone feels welcomed and comfortable and don’t allow much pre- or post-event mingling, unless it is clearly mutually desired. There is no pressure to exchange information or field questions about your interest in someone. While the method varied, after each event you’re able to let the organizers know who you liked, and if there are matches, both parties will be notified and given each other’s contact information.”
Though Keith hasn’t met anyone she was interested in getting to know more outside of the speed dating setting, she said she has no regrets in giving such events a try. In fact, she said she has met several genuinely kind and fascinating individuals, allowing her to appreciate people’s uniqueness.
“Even if you immediately know there’s no romantic interest, with a little effort, you can find common ground and have an enjoyable conversation,” she said. “Overall, the experience made me feel really encouraged by people’s willingness to put themselves out there to connect with others—something our world needs a lot more of these days.”
It’s not uncommon to hear single individuals mention that they either don’t know where to meet people or that it’s more challenging than in the past to meet them organically. While meet-cute situations do still occur, it’s seemingly less likely that every single person who sits down in a plane is going to wind up sitting next to the love of his or her life. Medrano said the designated events created for singles make it easier for people who don’t know each other to strike up conversations.
“I generally think most people are not approachable in public settings,” he said. “They’ve either got headphones or have their eyes on their phones (I am guilty of this myself). If you attend one of these events, you know there will be people there looking forward to meeting one another.”
While dating apps are not obsolete, in-person events are continuing to increase in popularity as people’s frustrations with the apps grow. Derrow said she believes that mixers and other activities of the sort are significantly better than trying to find matches on one’s phone.
“I think people realize that apps are demoralizing,” she said. “There’s no human decency. At least if you meet in person, the end will be civil-ish, and you likely won’t be ghosted.”
Keith said it’s been years since she’s used dating apps, but she surmises that any man showing up to a speed dating event has some courage and is someone who is intentional about wanting to meet someone special.
“I think speed dating should be considered an additional dating tool,” she said. “Doing it too often might feel draining, and doing it solely could be discouraging over time because you’re not guaranteed to be meeting anyone who has been filtered through your initial ‘wants’ or non-negotiables in a partner. Everyone I met at the events expressed being there for the face-to-face interactions and being fed up with dating apps.”
And while in-person events do require an investment of time, energy, and money, Keith said they are overall enjoyable and can potentially provide attendees with more hope and encouragement.
“Dating apps may win for efficiency, but I recall and have often heard that the app experience can also be harmful or, in the least, leave you feeling pretty down,” she said. “I don’t believe you can walk away from a speed dating event feeling anything but positive, as long as you put your best foot forward and enthusiastically engage with another human being.”
Like Keith, Medrano prefers to meet people in person and said he would certainly recommend mixers and singles events for friendships or dating purposes. He said at the pickleball mixer he attended, he noticed a pretty ideal balance of men and women, creating potential opportunities for those seeking romance.
“Dating apps only highlight what a person wants you to see,” he said. “At events, there’s no hiding, no filters—what you see is what you get.”
WEEKLY PHOTO OP
.jpg)
Dear reader Katy Flynn (far right) and friends April and Tina enjoyed a lovely Saturday morning at the Hot Chocolate Run