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The city of Columbia has a newfound interest in residents’ love lives and is planning to help singles come together.
The Parks and Recreation Department will host two adult singles mixers this summer in the new Riechmann Indoor Pavilion in Stephens Lake Park.
The first mixer will be on Friday from 8 to 11 p.m., and another one is scheduled for later this summer.
The smoke- and alcohol-free events will feature a number of games intended to break the ice but will not be as formal as speed dating, said Erin Carrillo, recreation specialist with the Parks and Recreation Department.
The mixer’s activities have not been finalized yet, but Carrillo said the city plans to hire a D.J. “It will be a relaxed environment to get to know each other,” Carrillo said.
The department heard a few requests for a social mixer like this, Carrillo said, but the idea was mostly something the city was interested in hosting.
“We hope to provide an alternative environment to the bar scene, to hopefully create some connections out there,” Carrillo said.
The event is targeted at all adults, but it will probably attract older adults looking for a new relationship, Carrillo said.
Gail Prince, a self-described relationship coach who runs a speed dating service called CoffeeMating in Chicago, said mixers like the one Columbia is planning are a good alternative to meeting people at bars.
“I have the experience that there is more interaction going on and in a more substantive manner,” Prince said about planned social gatherings. “The truth of the matter is, you hear singles say, ‘It is so hard to meet people.’ If many singles really believe that, then this is another good opportunity for singles to meet.”
Prince said she finds that women are generally more interested in mixers.
“They don’t put the stigma on it that men do,” Prince said. She also said she thinks women feel safer in arranged meetings.
The city is planning a second mixer Aug. 11 at the same place and time.
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