We Need to Get Out More!

January 1, 2020 10:40 AM

My goal for 2020 is to get out more, do more things, meet more people, and just generally re-join society after too long as a hermit. I also now have a girlfriend that I'd like to take out, do things with, and treat special. But... how do I find things to do? I'm in Austin, Texas, and I do not have, and will not sign up for, Facebook.

I'd like this question to be pretty open. I'm not necessarily looking for specific things to do, but how to find those things. I know about Meet Up, but would like more options that don't necessarily carry commitment or getting together with a specific group. I also know about the Chronicle, but rarely remember to grab one when I see them.

As I said, I've been living like a hermit for too long, so I'm really looking for a variety of new experiences. I have limited finances, so places I can find low-cost / free things to do are my first priority. I will, however, also need to plan *special* outings, so of course, how do I find those?

What's your favorite, and most reliable, way to find things to do in Austin? A website that publishes lists? For things that require advance planning (ticket buying, etc), how do you find out about these things in time to, for example, get a good seat? Are there interest-specific websites I should be checking regularly? RSS feeds and Google calendars?

posted by MuChao to Society & Culture (11 answers total)

I don't live in Austin, but I find Eventbrite makes it pretty easy to search for events that fit your parameters; here's a list of events that are free, but you can add filters to zero in on, say, art events, or other events specific to your interests. You should then be able to follow organizers of the types of events you're interested in, and set reminders to register for events when they open.
posted by carrienation at 10:59 AM on January 1, 2020 [1 favorite]

Eventbrite, Meetup, and yelp are decent places to start in any major US city
posted by shaademaan at 11:00 AM on January 1, 2020 [1 favorite]

https://do512.com/
posted by subwaytiles at 11:20 AM on January 1, 2020 [3 favorites]

You can sign up for the email lists of the most interesting live venues, small movie theaters, and galleries. They will send you weekly or monthly emails that list all of their upcoming events.
posted by xo at 11:26 AM on January 1, 2020 [2 favorites]

The Chronicle is available online (you don't have to pick it up physically): here's their events page. A city's alt-weekly is my primary way of finding things to do.

Also, one thing that probably isn't listed anywhere, if you like singing in a group and can tolerate mentions of protestant Christian tradition: Austin has a monthly Sacred Harp singing. These are always no-commitment and free to attend.
posted by batter_my_heart at 11:28 AM on January 1, 2020 [4 favorites]

My library hosts free concerts. They have posters on site and a schedule of events on line.
posted by Botanizer at 12:18 PM on January 1, 2020 [1 favorite]

I like to buy the Austin events wall calendar each year; that way you can see a whole month's worth of fun (and often free) things to do at a glance.
posted by Tuba Toothpaste at 12:32 PM on January 1, 2020 [2 favorites]

Not Austin specific, but I subscribe to GoldStar (link to Austin page). they will send you too many emails (I keep them in my Promotions folder and look at them a few times a week). They're not free, but they're all discounted, so you can often get, say, half-price tickets to anything from a $10 show for $5 to a $100 show for $50. And they have a wide variety of things--concerts, tours, plays, comedy shows.
posted by gideonfrog at 1:19 PM on January 1, 2020 [1 favorite]

Going to events where there are lots of other people is good, but some people can find initiating conversations challenging, especially at concert-type things where people's attention is focused on something that's definitely not you. Activities with entry-level access that facilitate engagement with the other participants and might be more conducive to actually meeting folks could include volunteering with a political campaign or attending an intro-to-whatever workshop at a hackerspace.
posted by univac at 9:23 AM on January 2, 2020

Do512 can send daily emails I think - I like those for checking out what's going on the upcoming week/month, and you can filter their website by free events. I also subscribe to mailing lists for businesses/organizations that I want to do more with - so even if you see an event on Do512 or wherever that you find interesting but can't go that week, sign up for their mailing list so that you hear about the next one. That might be things like Alamo $5 screenings, volunteer meetups for an animal shelter, library events, etc. I also really like the @whenwherewhataustin page on Instagram for free and cool events around town. In general, having things come to me regularly (via email mailing lists, instagram feed, etc) is useful for me because like you, I'm prone to doing nothing. If I can be regularly prompted and reminded about events going on, I'm much more likely to go.
posted by jouir at 11:35 AM on January 2, 2020

R/Austin has a list of things to do every week as well. I can get you discounts on roller derby tickets to see TXRD
games if you ever need those :)
posted by theRussian at 2:56 PM on January 2, 2020