Sober and sober-curious events are enjoying an upswing in popularity, and we are HERE FOR IT! As the Sober Curator contributor who scours the sources for our event calendar, I’ve picked up on a few patterns over the past six months.
The most prevalent kinds of events are mocktail tastings, sober happy hours and sober pub crawls. I suspect the uptick in NA beverage companies, bottle shops and sober bars is doing a considerable amount of promotion through these kinds of events.
Sober outdoor and wellness activities are the next category that stands out. Sober hikes, yoga, meditation and recovery retreats are popping up all over. In the current turbo-paced world, it’s not surprising that stress relief and self-care are driving this type of sober social gathering.
Finally, we’re noticing momentum with sober dating and singles mixers across the board. It’s difficult diving back into the romance realm after getting sober. These events are great opportunities to hone your flair for flirtiness.
There also seem to be a few standout cities that are gaining a reputation for their progressive availability of sober opportunities. When considering the existence of a visible sober-curious culture, dedicated NA bars and bottle shops, active recovery communities and plenty of sober events, there are three cities that take top prize.
As a native Chicagoan, I’m proud to list the Windy City as the top locale for sobriety-minded folks. Chicago is best known for building a sober social network, meeting up with people regularly and finding things to do beyond recovery meetings. Some examples of prominent organizations include Chicago AF, In Good Spirits, Solar Intentions and Go Brewing. Read on for my take on a recent event hosted by Chicago AF!
Second place goes to Denver, with its outdoorsy appeal. The city boasts a plethora of sober hikes and fitness and active recovery events. Denver was also ranked second in the 2026 NA venue index, with 45 verified venues in its metro-area dataset. A couple of popular organizations are the Denver chapter of The Phoenix and Advocates for Recovery Colorado.
It’s not surprising New York City is on the list. This cultural giant is most known for sober dating, arts and culture events, pop-up events for folks in recovery and extensive NA beverage choices. Check out Spirited Away, Minus Moonshine or No More Cafe for some cool NYC vibes.
Sober Curator Pro Tip: There is so much to keep up with in the big apple, we have a dedicated page for Sober in NYC.
I mentioned that I’m from Chicago, and I recently attended a local event. Chicago AF threw a heck of a party with its Mocktoberfest on Oct. 10, 2026.
Through a friend who praised this six-year-old organization for its online support meetings and inventive sober experiences, I connected with Chicago AF. I tried out a few meetings last year and really appreciated their no-pressure atmosphere, but I had never been to anything of theirs IRL. I reached out to my friend and invited them to join me at Mocktoberfest so I could spend time with someone awesome while checking out the Chicago AF scene.
The event was a hoot! There were numerous vendors sharing free samples of NA bevs, from beer to elixirs to alcohol-removed wine. Multiple “Chef Talks” educated the crowd on insider NA industry info, explaining how they made some of these creative cocktails.
After double-fisting our way through the tables, we pulled up to the bar, where signature mocktails and German food were available to purchase. Although the pretzels had already sold out, we grabbed a basket of cheese fries and made our way outside for chit-chat and sun.
The patio was alive with people mingling and munching, a booth for personal recovery story sharing, cornhole tournaments and strength games. The live band’s melodies rode the airwaves from the interior, giving our conversation a nice backbeat undertone.
And what Mocktoberfest is complete without a stilt-walking juggler? Not this one!
Also lovely to see, the founder and director, Carrie May, floated among the attendees, connecting with as many people as possible. All in all, Chicago AF’s Mocktoberfest was a well-planned, highly organized, inclusive and lively event. Kudos to the team at Chicago AF for its success.
Upon reflection on the trends I’m noticing, I identified a few areas where I’d like to see some improvement. As a proud middle-aged gal, I’d love to find more options for the over-40 population.
I would also welcome more recurring social opportunities, rather than one-offs. It’s nice to meet new people, but it is even better to establish ongoing relationships that can become a part of my wider sober community. After witnessing the diverse crowd at Mocktoberfest, I would applaud more focus on diversity in all sober events, including ethnicity, age, 2SLGBTQI+ identities and disability.
I’ve also been considering ways businesses can support the sober-curious movement. We can always have more NA bev options at restaurants and bars, especially NA wine. Sober rooms and/or seating and social areas at large facilities such as sports venues, hotels and resorts, and concerts and festivals would be a great turn of the tide.
In marketing, could we stop making alcohol the default image for fun? It would be healthier for everyone, not just us sober folk, if commercials could find alternative ways to visualize having a good time.
And let’s please feature more sober and sober-curious consumers: lifestyle writers, outdoor ambassadors and alcohol-free community leaders. These are people our young and old can look up to as models of substance-free living.
What types of events or kinds of support would you like to see in the world? If you have specific ideas, I’d love to hear about them. Comment on this article or send me a line at hello@meganwrightauthor.com.
Want to learn more about Chicago AF, the amazing sober community that hosted this event in Chicago? Check out its site and register for its newsletter here: Chicago AF.
Want to see more sober events around the nation and beyond? Check out The Sober Curator’s event calendar here: 2026 Sober Events Calendar: Things to Do.
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SOBER EVENTS at The Sober Curator keeps you in the loop on alcohol-free gatherings happening nationwide. From sober comedy shows and non-alcoholic tastings to festivals, retreats, and sporting events, we highlight vibrant, community-driven experiences from coast to coast. Our goal? To keep you entertained, inspired, and connected—no matter where you live. Need more sober time than one event? We’ve got your back with our Sober Retreat Calendar.
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