I love going to sober events! Going to events with other sober (curious) peeps there is just FUN and relaxed, it makes me feel connected. Connected to myself and my choice to stop drinking (which resulted in me doing things close to ME, that I like to do, and not being expected to do by society), and to OTHERS who made that same choice. What I realized since I stopped drinking is that CONNECTION is everything. And that’s what these events are great for!
So because of this, and in the name of upcoming Sober October, I compiled a list of all the sober events I could find that take place this October ALL OVER THE WORLD!!
I divided them into three groups, Europe, Australia and the United States, so you know where to look 😉
Sober Events in the United States
Let’s start with the United States:
Saturday, Sep 30th in Montclair, New Jersey
Mindful Soiree – Sip, Sparkle and Shine at this kick-off for Sober October! By The Mindful Drinking Co
Sunday, Oct 1st in Mansfield, Texas
Breathe into Sobriety – Join in for an afternoon of yoga, sound bath & share circle, where the hosts will shine a light on what “sobriety” means to them and share their journey, tips, and tricks on how to navigate a world where alcohol is so prevalent
Sunday, Oct 1st in Austin, Texas
Sober October Kick-Off Party by Dear Dry Drinkery (@deardrydrinkery on Instagram) is a bottle shop for dry drinkers. Free entry and complimentary non-alcoholic drinks and pizza!
Monday, Oct 2nd in New York
Sober October Kick-Off Party – Kicking off Sober October with new friends at Hekate. Enjoy wonderful mocktails, and grow your sober circle
Thursday, Oct 5th in Signal Hill, California
Mocktails at Long Beach’s Newest Alcohol-free Bar: Shirley’s Temple with ‘Long Beach Alcohol Free Activities and Adventures’
Thursday, Oct 5th in New York
Sober October N/A Happy Hour & Breathwork + Soundbath by Drink Lily
Friday, Oct 6th in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Recovery Riot – A night of comedy without the hangover!
Friday, Oct 6th in Detroit, Michigan
Sober October Comedy Show – A Sober October comedy show featuring an unlimited dry bar!
Monday, Oct 9th in New York
Salsa Dance Class with ‘Women who don’t drink and are still cool AF’
Tuesday, Oct 10th in Watertown, Massachusetts
BYOC + Mocktails A DIY evening with sober sips in a low-key, no-pressure, social environment
Friday, Oct 13th in Portland, Oregon
SoBar’s Friday the 13th Booooze Free Dance Party & Market – A dance party, vendor market, & costume contest for anyone sober/sober-curious!
Sunday, Oct 15th in Los Angeles
The Sober Show – Improv comedy based on drunk stories performed by sober improvisers.
Thursday, Oct 19th in Los Angeles
Sober Speed Friending: Like speed dating, but without the awkward glances and cheesy pick-up lines, all while sober!
Friday, Oct 20th in Long Beach, California
Cat Yoga: Come experience a highly paw-sitive time with a certified yoga instructor who will guide you through a gentle, relaxing, and restorative yoga session alongside the company of some wonderful cats & kittens!
Saturday, Oct 21st in Pleasanton, California
Neon Dreams Sober Sisters Bounce & Bond Bash – An exhilarating evening of bouncing, bonding, and laughter at the Sober Sisters Bounce & Bond Bash at illuminated bounce houses. Leap, bounce, and twirl & let your inner child loose.
Sunday, Oct 22 in Topanga, California
Sober Musicians Picnic – Musician’s Picnic for a groovy gathering of talented artists, tasty treats, and good vibes. Let’s jam, eat, and make memories
Sunday, Oct 22 in Kernersville, North Carolina
Fizz & Beats™ Zero Proof Fest: A vibrant celebration of music, flavors, and mocktails!
EVERY FIRST SUNDAY in Santa Monica, California
Party On! A sober comedy show: More than just a night of laughs, it’s a celebration of recovery and a testament to the power of humor in overcoming addiction.
GIRLPOWER
More and more people are starting to organize regular sober events, WHOOHOOOO!!! Also, check out how many female founders there are, GIRL POWERRR…!
Absence of Proof (@absenceofproof on Instagram) is a one-woman company founded & run by Elizabeth Gascoigne. Elizabeth creates vibrant, quintessential NYC nightlife experiences without the alcohol. Her events in October:
Friday, Oct 6th in New York
Love Unfiltered: Dating, Sex & Intimacy without alcohol in New York – Join Absence of Proof and Tawny Lara for an intimate discussion around dating and sex without alcohol.
Thursday, Oct 5th in Los Angeles
Scented Spirits: An elevated mixology class with cocktails, bites and goodie bags…
Wednesday, Oct 18th in Connecticut
Sound Bath & non-alcoholic Cocktail Hour: A unique healing & connective experience
Saturday, Oct 21st in Nashville
AOP x Killjoy Mixology Class: Shake up 3 non-alcoholic cocktails inspired by fall flavors, chat about mixology, & learn the product you’re working with!
Thursday, Oct 26th in Detroit
Sober October Halloween Party: Spooky non-alcoholic cocktails, DJ & great vibes
Sober Socialites – Run by Rachel, located in Alameda, California, Sober Socialites organizes lots of fun activities in the Bay Area. For October, Rachel has planned the following:
Saturday, Oct 7th in Walnut Creek, California – Sober October – Cacao Ceremony & Guided Meditation
Sunday, Oct 15th in San Leandro, California – Sober Sunday – Easy Hike Lake Chabot & Bass Cove
Sunday, Oct 29th in Alameda, California – Sober Sunday – Halloween Movie Night + Bonfire
Sans Bar (@sans_bar on Instagram) is a virtual academy for sober bars and bottle shops. Sans Bar is also an actual bar, 100% alcohol-free, in Austin, Texas. They organize many awesome events, I attended one in New York last year, and I loved every minute of it! There were many nice non-alcoholic drinks to try out, a cool DJ with great music, speeches from interesting people in the sober world, and LOTS of connecting! They haven’t planned anything for this October, but be sure to check their calendar HERE for future events.
Third Place Bar NY (@thirdplacebarnyc on Instagram) is also a one-woman company founded and run by Sam. Sam organizes a series of alcohol-free bar events at several different venues in New York City & Brooklyn.
Wednesday & Thursday, Oct 4/5th in Brooklyn, New York
Modern Love & Mocktails: Kick-off Sober October with a feast with this 2-day restaurant mocktail pop-up!
Sunday, Oct 8th in Brooklyn New York
Non-Alcoholic Cocktail 101: A two-hour long non-alcoholic cocktail-making class, including drinks, samples, light snacks & a gift bag!
Curious Elixirs is a company that makes booze-free craft cocktails infused with adaptogens. They also organize all kinds of fun sober events in New York. You can find all the details about these on their Instagram account!
Wednesday, Oct 4th – Burlesque & Booze-free Debauchery: A night with incredible mocktails and iconic performances by Pearls Daily
Wednesday, October 11th – Sips & Solidarity: A night of booze-free bevs, games & comedy hosted by Jacklyn Collier and Rachel Hechtman, aka Sober in Central Park on Instagram
Tuesday, Oct 17th – Liz Moody x Curious Elixers: Best-selling author and podcast host Liz Moody celebrates her new book, ‘100 Ways to Change Your Life’ with a Q&A, interactive activities, and other surprises
Wednesday, Oct 18th – Sounds Good: A Music Bizz Wellness Hang with music industry health coaches Marni Wandner and Nicole Blonder. The night includes live music and a flow of elixirs…
Wednesday, Oct 25th – Absence of Proof x Sober October Finale: A night full of surprises, delicious elixirs & good vibes
Serving Sundays (@servingsundays on Instagram) is another one-woman company. It is founded and run by Karrie. Her idea is to create a community based on the foundation of wellness, healing & disconnecting while connecting. All her events are alcohol-free. For October, she has planned:
Sunday, Oct 8th in San Francisco, California – Fall Kick Off Party
Sunday, Oct 22nd in San Francisco, California – Wellness Experience
Check HERE for more info…
Daybreaker (@dybrkr on Instagram) is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year by doing a worldwide ‘Together’ Tour!! The mission of Daybreaker is to create a multigenerational community coming together at booze-free daytime dance events that often start with an hour of yoga. I have been to one last week, and it’s awesome!
Their tour schedule for October is:
Oct 7th Los Angeles / Oct 13th New York / Oct 14th Denver / Oct 15th Seattle / Oct 18th Amsterdam (my home town!!) / Oct 21st Chicago / Oct 22nd Washington DC / Oct 29th New York
You can find all the info on their website here !
And then there is The Phoenix (@riserecoverlive on Instagram). This nationwide organization/community offers LOTS of activities for people in recovery, sober curious, plus supporters. They offer everything from running, bowling, art workshops, yoga, and picnics! All year round, in MANY cities, and mainly FREE, so be sure to check them out if you are looking into meeting new sober buddies!
Sober Events in EUROPE
Over to Europe… Most sober events in Europe take place in the United Kingdom; I literally found TWO events in mainland Europe:
Sunday, Oct 1st in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Coffee & Walk in the Vondelpark organized by Queer & Sober (@queersoberclub on Instagram). A platform for members of the queer community in the Netherlands that are sober or sober curious. They organize monthly events.
Saturday, Oct 7th in Munich, Germany
Munich Techno Yoga Rave: The perfect mix of yoga, meditation, and ecstatic dancing – Accompanied by the finest techno beats
Sober Events in the UK
Then the sober events that take place in the UK:
The following events are organized by the Sober Girl Society (@sobergirlsociety on Instagram). This is a large, fun, younger community for sober & sober curious women based in the UK
Sunday, Oct 1st in London, UK
Boozeless Brunch
Tuesday, Oct 24th in London, UK
Halloween Mixer
Thursday, Oct 26th in Brighton, UK
Sober Girl Society Mixer
Saturday, Oct 7th in London, UK
Big B’day Bonanza: London’s ultimate clubbing extravaganza celebrates its 1-yr anniversary!
For bookings, check out their Instagram page: @houseofhapinessofficial
Saturday, Oct 14th in Winchester, UK
Loud & Clear, Sober Music Event: Party in a huge barn with great tunes and an awesome sound system! No alcohol, no drugs, no bad vibes
Wednesday, Oct 18th in London, UK
Cocktail Club with All The Bitter – Classically inspired alcohol-free cocktail bitters that lift the spirit. Join founders Carly and Ian to make some classic cocktails! Organized by Club Soda, an Alcohol-free Tasting Room, Bar, and Shop in London. They organize lots of fun tastings and workshops.
Saturday, Oct 21st in Dublin, Ireland
Spooky Sober Social: Halloween Party & Drag Show – A sober Halloween party with tarot readings, a drag show, crafts, and games!
Sunday, Oct 28th in Nottingham, UK
Halloween Meal in Café Sobar, organized by Girls Gone Sober
Sunday Oct 29th in London, UK
Sober October Special in the London Alcohol-Free Comedy Club
Sunday, Oct 29th in Manchester, UK
The Day Of The Flamingo: Club Classics performed live from Elements Girl Band with a lineup of DJs, Vocalists, live sax & Percussion! Plus some spooky performers, spooky bangers, and a few Flamingo surprises! Organized by Flamingo AF, an alcohol-free movement in the UK that is helping sober and sober curious people to feel connected by organizing super fun events for them
DRYY (@dryyapp on Instagram) is an alcohol-free community in the UK, full of people looking to transform their lives by taking a break from alcohol. Besides the online community on the app, DRYY organizes lots of landbased events too, and in October they have the following meet ups:
Thursday, Oct 19th Dublin Meet Up
Friday, Oct 20th Edinburgh Meet Up
Saturday, Oct 21st London Meet Up
Then there is Bee Sober (@beesoberofficial on Instagram) – A non-profit sober community that offers support, raises awareness, and helps remove the stigma attached to sobriety and alcoholism by providing many services and events. For October, Bee Sober has the following sober events planned:
Sunday, Oct 1st London Southbank Social
Sunday, Oct 1st Bee Sober London Brunch
Saturday, Oct 7th Manchester City Centre Stroll
Saturday, Oct 7th Let’s Do Brunch! Sheffield
Sunday, Oct 8th October Dip at Leasowe Bay, Manchester
You can find more information on all the events here, on their website
Sober Event in Australia
Saturday, Oct 14th, Footscray, Melbourne, Australia
OG non alcoholic tasting party – A day of N/A drinks tasting, food by Street BBQ’s Matt Wilkinson and some disco thanks to Lady Langers, organised by the awesome Pub With No Booze!
Well, THIS WAS MY OVERVIEW! I hope you can find something near you, and if you know of any events not listed, please tell me, and I’ll add the event to the list 🙂
Next week I’m off to the innovative three-day signature event of SHE RECOVERS, which takes place at the iconic Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago from Sept 29th – Oct 1st, 2023. Are you going there too? If so, pop me a message, and I’ll meet you there to cheers on our booze-free lives!
Looking at the amount of fun things happening in the sober world, I think we can all agree on the fact that our movement (yes, ours, WE are the ones making changes here, YOU and I!) IS MAKES WAVES, and I’m all for it – are YOU? 😉
Izzy x
PS: If you make it to any of the above events, tell me all about it… I would love to hear how it was!
