For many, it’s an unheard-of proposition: going out without having alcohol. For Kaitie Degen, it’s just another Saturday.
The 26-year-old is at the head of a new kind of good time called Sober Saturdayz. The B.C. native grew up in what she calls chaotic circumstances where drugs and alcohol were always present and always causing trouble.
“I've pretty much my whole life just been watching people come in and out of recovery programs since as long as I can remember,” she said.
Since moving to Edmonton, she developed a healthy social network with many friends who work in the hospitality industry, being DJs and running festivals. Drugs and alcohol were big factors in their social lives too. They might have helped facilitate the relaxation and ease, but they did nothing to help how she felt about herself – not to mention the hangovers and other physiological repercussions.
At some point about a year ago, Degen became fed up with it. The stress of her upbringing caused her to battle with depression and anxiety. Adding substances into that mix did nothing to improve matters.
“We all just realized that if we kept living the nightlife that we've been living, that it wouldn't last very long. I pretty much just decided that I was sick and tired of just like going out and getting wasted all the time, and that I still wanted to socialize but that I didn't really know what that looked like.”
Not long after that is when she established Sober Saturdayz, a casual group that organizes periodic alcohol-free events around the city. The first one was held in Edmonton last summer with a few dozen people joining her, but she is setting up an event called Love Fest to take place next weekend and she expects 200 to 300 in attendance.
The proof is in the pudding, as they say. If something gains traction and starts growing fast then there must be a good reason for it. Even Degen was taken aback by how it got so big so quick.
“Since it's grown so exponentially over the last year, it just goes to show how much something like this is needed in the community.”
For Deen Hill, one of the big draws about Sober Saturdayz is because it serves the LGBTQ community, where bars and nightclubs – adult-only environments – have traditionally been mainstay social environments, to the exclusion of minors.
"An LGBT-focused café, for example, is something so desperately needed in our community because it provides a safe space for all ages to come together," he said. "People who don't drink or have negative experiences with alcohol tend to avoid bars, and if the only places LGBT events are being held is at these bars, then it excludes a large part of the community or would force them to sacrifice their comfort to be a part of the community."
"In general, this event is sending a message that you don't need to drink to have fun and that we can celebrate the LGBT community without being in a space centred around alcohol."
Degen not only sees the need for what she's offering: there's a demand for it. In fact, she has even already expanded outside of the capital region. Love Fest Calgary last weekend was sold out. Party-goers ranged in age from teens to those well into their senior years.
“The reasoning behind Love Fest was because I realized that when I tried to go back into social situations after not drinking so much, I was super insecure. I just didn't know how to hold myself in a public situation without being drunk. I didn't know how to start conversations. I was too insecure to dance. I just felt overall super, super awkward. I realized that for me, personally, my drinking and substance habits stemmed from insecurities. I wanted to create an event that talks about direct correlation between negative self-image and drug and alcohol abuse.”
Love Fest takes place on Feb. 23. In addition to entertainment by local sober poets, live music by singer/songwriter Tanjeryne Hoffman, and drag performers, there will also be a group of hairdressers and makeup artists who are volunteering their time to do everyone's hair and makeup. After getting glammed up, people will also have the chance to walk the red carpet and feel the love from a crowd of cheering onlookers.
Visit www.sobersaturdayz.ca/events to learn more.
