About us
Do you wish you could have more of the kinds of conversations you have late at night where for some reason, you feel safe talking about the things you actually care about?
Then you'll probably be into this Meetup. We host events called Skip the Small Talks where we use question prompts designed based in psychology research to help strangers have meaningful conversations with each other.
Not feeling like answering a particular question? No worries, we'll have plenty to choose from, like, "When are you the happiest?" and, "If you were going to become close friends with me, what would I need to know about you?" We'll give you ground rules to make sure you feel comfortable and safe sharing as much of yourself as possible while still feeling in complete control of how much you divulge.
Featured event
Skip the Small Talk: Make Friends, Not Small Talk
###PLEASE NOTE: Even if you RSVP on Meetup, you will need to grab a ticket here https://www.skipthesmalltalk.com/store/skip-the-small-talk-night-at-kibbitznest-wednesday-july-1-2026 in order to attend### This event is cross-posted so Meetup RSVPs won't accurately reflect the actual number of attendees; typically there are around 30-40 people in attendance.
What's It Like?
Do you wish you could have more of the kinds of conversations you have late at night where for some reason, you feel safe talking about the things you actually care about?
Bring your friends (or come by yourself- most people do!) and spend your Wednesday night at an event where you know everyone else is there for the same reason.
We'll be offering 'big talk' conversational prompts on them to get you started, and we'll have lots of structure to make sure that you actually talk to people and that it's not awkward.
There will be food and drinks for sale!
Check-in for this event will begin around 6:45 pm. Please do your best to arrive before 7:00 pm so we can begin as close to on time as possible.
Skip the Small Talk is dedicated to providing an inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone. Check out our safety policy here: tinyurl.com/ststSafety
Please see our event page for more accessibility info.
Ready to Skip the Small Talk With Us?
Grab a ticket since entry is on a first come first serve basis and we tend to sell out in advance for these-- once we are out of tickets, we will NOT be able to accommodate folks at the door.
Learn more about kibbitznest and their mission on their website here. If you want to be the first to hear about our events before we sell out, feel free to join our mailing list at Skip the Small Talk Mailing List Sign-Up
Upcoming events
21
Skip the Small Talk: Make Friends, Not Small Talk
kibbitznest books, brews & blarney, Chicago, IL, US###PLEASE NOTE: Even if you RSVP on Meetup, you will need to grab a ticket here https://www.skipthesmalltalk.com/store/skip-the-small-talk-night-at-kibbitznest-wednesday-july-1-2026 in order to attend### This event is cross-posted so Meetup RSVPs won't accurately reflect the actual number of attendees; typically there are around 30-40 people in attendance.
What's It Like?
Do you wish you could have more of the kinds of conversations you have late at night where for some reason, you feel safe talking about the things you actually care about?
Bring your friends (or come by yourself- most people do!) and spend your Wednesday night at an event where you know everyone else is there for the same reason.
We'll be offering 'big talk' conversational prompts on them to get you started, and we'll have lots of structure to make sure that you actually talk to people and that it's not awkward.
There will be food and drinks for sale!
Check-in for this event will begin around 6:45 pm. Please do your best to arrive before 7:00 pm so we can begin as close to on time as possible.
Skip the Small Talk is dedicated to providing an inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone. Check out our safety policy here: tinyurl.com/ststSafety
Please see our event page for more accessibility info.
Ready to Skip the Small Talk With Us?
Grab a ticket since entry is on a first come first serve basis and we tend to sell out in advance for these-- once we are out of tickets, we will NOT be able to accommodate folks at the door.
Learn more about kibbitznest and their mission on their website here. If you want to be the first to hear about our events before we sell out, feel free to join our mailing list at Skip the Small Talk Mailing List Sign-Up
73 attendees
$5 First Fridays Stand Up Comedy Shows at Chicago's best venue!
Laugh Factory Chicago, 3175 n Broadway, Chicago, IL, USThe Laugh Factory in Lakeview (Broadway & Belmont) is open for comedy and we all could use some laughs! We always get A LOT of people to attend these shows. Often times over 100 Meetup members!
If you attend by yourself or with friends and want to be seated in the Meetup group section, simply request this when you check in at the ticket booth! Then just say hi to those around you :)
Every First Friday of the month we get $5 TICKETS to their shows at 7:00, 9:15 & 11:30 pm. They're ALWAYS hilarious!
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Get your $5 tickets ASAP before the quantity they give us get sells out. And with our "laugh or get a refund" policy (that has never in 4 years been requested), I know you'll enjoy your MUCH NEEDED night out! This event is posted in lots of different Meetup groups, so the RSVP # won't show how many are actually attending.
READ THE DESCRIPTION OF EACH SHOW AND GET YOUR $5 TIX HERE: https://tinyurl.com/firstfridayslaughfactory
*You can purchase tickets for several people and multiple shows this night through the link. No physical tickets will be issued. Your name will be on a list at the door and all tickets will be under the purchaser's name. Groups of up to 6 people can be sat together if arriving together.
Please Note: These shows are for ages 18+ w/ ID. If you show up after start time you will not be able to enter. There is a 2 drink minimum per person per show (non-alcoholic or alcoholic). Drinks are reasonably priced, and a comedy show is funnier with a few drinks, so this shouldn't be an issue with how cheap our tickets are :) Also, an 18% service fee (aka gratuity) will be applied to all drink tabs at payment to be given directly to service staff.
No refunds or exchanges but tickets can be transferred.
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Is there parking? Street parking and some garages are available throughout the area. However, public transit, ridesharing apps, and taxi services are highly encouraged.
What is the dress code? There is no dress code. Be comfortable!
READ THE DESCRIPTION OF EACH SHOW AND GET YOUR $5 TIX HERE: https://tinyurl.com/firstfridayslaughfactory
Enjoy the laughter!
-Ben
3 attendees
Be Active & Social this Fall! Join one of our fun, coed rec level league teams!
Leagues played at various locations in Chicago. See specific leagues for where the games are played!, Multiple Locations, Chicago, IL, USThis August & September, join us for a season of Simply Social fun! There's absolutely nothing better than participating in a recreational, all-skill levels welcome intramural league! It's so nice getting to know new people in a really laid back way over the length of a season, playing games and then over drinks at your walkable league sponsor bar afterwards with all teams.
We've got Kickball, 16" Softball, Beach Volleyball, Singles Skeeball (for singles!) and Family Feud Trivia. They're all a blast!
REGISTER TO JOIN US by yourself or with friends and get placed on a team for the season! Want to participate but can't make it to every game? No problem! We put extra players on every team for this very reason.
NOTE: I'VE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT FALL LEAGUES THAT RUN FROM AUGUST-OCTOBER AND PLAY SUNDAY-FRIDAY ALL OVER THE CITY! THE DATE AND LOCATION SHOWN FOR THIS MEETUP EVENT ARE JUST A PLACEHOLDER. CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE FOR THE FULL LEAGUE OPTIONS, DETAILS & TO REGISTER FOR A SUPER FUN SEASON!! https://s3leagues.com/fall-leagues
**Send me a DM if you have any questions and I'll get back to you right away!**
WHY JOIN S3 SIMPLY SOCIAL SPORTS LEAGUES?
I started S3 Leagues 16 years ago in an effort to create more social, welcoming leagues that focus on having fun and meeting new people. Since then, over 114,000 past players (yeah that many lol) have experienced what makes them so great and popular!
Hanging out with the same group week after week for 5-7 weeks makes it pretty effortless to build lasting relationships. That's the best part :)
ALL SKILL LEVELS ARE WELCOME, aka no experience required! Simply register by yourself or with friends and I'll put you with others around your age for the season. Then before we start I'll email EVERYTHING you need to know for the season including your teammate info, the full schedule, how/where we play and TONS more!
FULL DETAILS & REGISTRATION: https://s3leagues.com/fall-leagues
GET $20 OFF 16" SOFTBALL OR KICKBALL PLAYER FEES W/ PROMO CODE 'MEETUPHOOKUP' - PLAY FOR ONLY $45-75!
PLUS GIRLS GET 50% OFF 16" SOFTBALL - PLAY FOR ONLY $32-47!
Promo codes cannot be used for Beach Volleyball ($65-70), Singles Skeeball ($65) and Family Feud Trivia ($35) which are cheap for everyone.
IF YOU'VE GOT A FULL TEAM TO SIGN UP, EMAIL BEN@S3LEAGUES.COM (THAT'S ME!) TO REGISTER AND MAKE IT EVEN CHEAPER PER PLAYER!
I hope you let me show you what makes S3 Simply Social Sports Leagues so popular and exciting. I guarantee it'll be a unique experience unlike anything you've ever been a part of :)
Please send me a message if you have any questions!
Cheers,
Ben102 attendees
Millennial Speed-Dating (Monogamous)
kibbitznest books, brews & blarney, Chicago, IL, US###PLEASE NOTE: Even if you RSVP on Meetup, you will need to grab a ticket here https://www.skipthesmalltalk.com/store/speed-dating-monogamous-30-45-wednesday-july-22-2026 in order to attend### This event is cross-posted so Meetup RSVPs won't accurately reflect the actual number of attendees; typically there are around 30-40 people in attendance.
Want to get off your dating apps and meet someone in real life, but where you don’t have to find out that every cute person at the party is unavailable? Do you think that IRL speed dating is generally awkward and weird? So do we. That’s why we’re putting a Skip the Small Talk twist on dating.
We'll be offering "big talk" conversation prompts to get you started, and we'll have lots of structure to make sure that you actually talk to people and that it's not awkward.
There will be food and drinks for sale!
Check-in for this event will begin around 6:45 pm.
Please do your best to arrive before 7:00 pm so we can begin as close to on time as possible. Please note that there is an arrival cutoff, meaning that if you are not in line to check in before 7:10 pm, unfortunately, you will not be able to participate and we will not be able to offer refunds.
Skip the Small Talk is dedicated to providing an inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone. Check out our safety policy here: Skip the Small Talk Safety Policy
Who Is This Event for?
You would probably have a good time at this event if all of the following are true of you:
- You are aged 30-45 (plus or minus a year or two is cool, too, and if you’re not in this age range, feel free to check out our other events).
- You are monogamous (polyamorous events are also often available— feel free to check out our other Chicago events!)
- You either feel a connection to the identity of “man” and you are interested in dating women, or you feel a connection to the identity of “woman” and you are interested in dating men. Gender nonconforming folks who feel connected to one of those genders in some way are absolutely welcome. (We also host other events to accommodate gender nonconforming folks who don’t feel a connection to the identity of “man” or “woman”).
If any of the above statements are NOT true of you, you might want to see if our other events are a better fit. We do our best to accommodate as many different demographics as possible given limited capacity for our speed-dating events, and we are always working to include more! Any suggestions for how we can be more inclusive? Please feel free to reach out to us at info@skipthesmalltalk.com.
This event is trans-inclusive. We do not tolerate transphobia at this or any of our events.
We can only accommodate a limited number of guests at this event, so please plan to grab a ticket as soon as you think you'd like to join us.
Ready to Skip the Small Talk With Us?
Grab a ticket since entry is on a first come first serve basis and we tend to sell out in advance for these-- once we are out of tickets, we will NOT be able to accommodate folks at the door.
Learn more about kibbitznest and their mission on their website here. If you want to be the first to hear about our events before we sell out, feel free to join our mailing list at Skip the Small Talk Mailing List Sign-Up
###PLEASE NOTE: Even if you RSVP on Meetup, you will need to grab a ticket here https://www.skipthesmalltalk.com/store/speed-dating-monogamous-30-45-wednesday-july-22-2026 in order to attend### This event is cross-posted so Meetup RSVPs won't accurately reflect the actual number of attendees; typically there are around 30-40 people in attendance.
10 attendees
Past events
126
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