America's meetup boom can be seen in Raleigh, too
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images
Young people raised on swiping, DMing and streaming are doing something bold: going out.
Why it matters: Amid a loneliness epidemic, millennials and Gen Zers are craving IRL connection — enough to show up for meetups built around activities once considered solitary, or "grandma hobbies."
The latest: They're leaving the house to play chess, birdwatch and read in silence together.
- "It's very easy to sit inside and rot just by yourself," Cole Robinson, president of the Audubon on Campus Trinity University chapter, tells Axios San Antonio.
- But activities like birding can help you "feel a little less lonely," the 20-year-old says.
By the numbers: There were 151% more puzzle competitions from August 2024 to July 2025, compared to the preceding 12 months, according to Eventbrite numbers (separate from the below "singles" data) shared with Axios.
- And mahjong-focused events are up 94% earlier this year compared to last, according to Evite data shared with Axios.
Zoom in: Raleigh, home to thousands of transplants trying to make new connections, is one of the hot spots for these types of events, according to Eventbrite data.
- In the first half of the year, the Raleigh metro was one of the top areas for growth in trivia nights and birdwatching meetups for meeting new people, according to Eventbrite. (The arrival of a painted bunting in Dix Park was the talk of the town in June.)
- The City of Oaks has also caught onto the mahjong wave trending across the U.S.
