What are your go-to places, or ways to find things to do in your town? Do you crawl the events section of Facebook, hoping friends and family will share all the cool activities they are attending? Or maybe you jump online and check out the usual hot spots in Metro Detroit…the Detroit Zoo, The Henry Ford, or find out what might be coming to the Fox or the Palace?
You might be shocked to know that most of the organizations in every community host events that are open to the public, places you might never think to look. Libraries, community centers, parks and recreation, art centers, non-profits and many others host anywhere from 2 events to hundreds of events each month, across all age groups and interests.
Here’s our list of the 4 best ways to find things to do near you:
- An Events App – A mobile events app will give you all the information you need on the go and at your fingertips. Events apps like LocalHop, Eventbrite, All Events in City, and Eventtus can show you events happening right next door or half way around the world depending on your needs. (Download the LocalHop app today in the App and Google Play stores).
- Subscribe to Newsletters – Have you ever purchased tickets for an event on StubHub or Ticketmaster? Chances are you probably have a list of events custom picked for you based on your previous purchases. Yes, they keep tabs on all the tickets you have looked at, the genres, artists, kid friendly or adult only events and activities you may have paused on even for the briefest of moments. They are able to use that information to provide you with events that are sure to interest you. Do your research and subscribe to the newsletters that will give you the best of what’s happening locally…Ticketmaster, Crain’s, Detroit Free Press, and others do a great job of keeping you in the know. The downside? Be prepared to get some spam. While the events may be what you are searching for, some organizations will include emails containing news and other special offers that they think you might like. Check in their email settings if these “other” notifications can be blocked.
- The Google – Yes, we said it. Just ask Siri, Cortana, or Google search “find things to do near me,” “Local Events,” or “Things to do,” and with any luck, all of those events apps and event companies will pop up in the results. Why? Because many companies spend money on those terms for search engine optimization to make sure they beat out the competition and show up at the top of page one. Keep in mind that you can find great events on any page so be sure to go beyond page 1 and check out the organic results.
- Local Organizations –Go Local! There are amazing things happening right down the road from you, we promise! Live close to your city’s library? Check out their website for a list of events, you might be shocked to learn that some libraries host hundreds of events for both adults and kids. Many libraries honor library cards from neighboring cities, you might find the right event for you in a neighboring city. Want to make a difference in your community? Check out some non-profits websites for volunteer opportunities or fundraising events, especially around the holiday season. Be sure to check out your city and Downtown Development Authority (DDA) websites to find anything from parades, holiday events, concerts, tastings, runs, fundraisers, and many others! (Skip all the searching, LocalHop aggregates all of these events in one place for you to quickly browse.)
While social media seems to dominate the event marketing space these days, many fun, free events get overlooked by locals because they simply may not know where to look. You don’t have to spend a fortune or drive 30 miles to find things to do, let our list above be your starting point. Have questions or want information about the LocalHop events app? Reach out to us today.
About us – LocalHop is an Events Management Platform that provides event marketing, web calendars, and registration systems to organizations and small businesses in Kalamazoo and southeast Michigan. LocalHop launched in October 2015 and LocalHop registration is set to launch March 2017.
