Alone together in Tucson: Events you can do solo but with others

Co-hosted by Stacks Book Club and Tucson Love Letter, couples, families, solo listeners and a friendly golden retriever gathered to partake in this typically independent activity, together.

“We’re doing something collaboratively together, but in essence, everyone’s sort of in their own world too, which is really fun,” said Lizzy Jeffrey-Franco, co-owner of Stacks Book Club, a chain of independent bookstores and craft coffee bars in Tucson.

The first walk took place in February 2026 — the Turquoise Trail is a walking loop of historic sites downtown — and has since gained popularity, with three more events this year. Jeffrey-Franco believes that popularity stems from a desire for more in-person interaction.

“They’re craving time away from just scrolling on their phone,” she said.

Even people who like to do things alone want community, too, she said.

“A lot of folks like myself are introverted, and so for me personally, I love these types of events, because I can go out and I can have an experience. I can feel like I’m part of something,” Jeffrey-Franco said.

Co-host Gloria Knott, owner of Tucson Love Letter, said there’s magic that happens when people walk together, even if they could go alone.

“It’s a way for people to be around community without that pressure of having conversations, and it’s a way for you to get out of the house, visit a local business, get creative outside of your normal surroundings, but without having to talk,” she said.

Tucson Love Letter, a community-first publication, features an events page where locals can scroll through an events board and look for things to do in Tucson. Many of these events feature activities that people can do solo, but still be surrounded by community, such as Kitty Yoga at Hunter’s Kitten Lounge, fall-themed junk journaling at Brandylion Bar and a silent disco flash mob with Silent Adventures.

Knott compared it to attending a football game in person as opposed to watching it at home by yourself.

“Even though you don’t know everyone at that stadium, and you probably aren’t talking to many people while you’re there, that energy still radiates, and you’re part of something alongside other people,” she said.

Stacks Book Club and Tucson Love Letter are also co-hosting a Reading Rave at Reid Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, next to the duck pond. Readers can bring blankets and snacks, listen to music and read alongside others. The organizers request an RSVP at stacksbookclub.com/events. 

There are other events like these happening in Tucson as well:

Introvert Happy Hour

Celestia Collective, at 1122 N. Stone Ave., hosts an Introvert Happy Hour, where people can partake in their own hobbies side-by-side without the pressure of starting conversations.

It’s a form of body doubling, a strategy that helps people get work done by doing it together.

The Silent Book Club

The Silent Book Club is a global book club where readers can gather and read silently together.

The Tucson chapter, coordinated by Anna Griessel, meets on the second Sunday of every month at The Moonstone, 930 E. Second St., from 3-5 p.m.

“I heard about the Silent Book Club on NPR, and I thought, ‘Oh, I would like that. That sounds nice because you can be quiet and shy, but you’re still around people, but you don’t really have to participate in anything,’” Griessel said.

The gatherings usually consist of four to 20 people, both regulars and newcomers alike.

“The thing that I love about it the most is it’s intergenerational. We have college students, and we have retired people and everybody in between,” Griessel said.

Conversation is optional, not forced, she said. When the timer is up, readers are free to stay and chat or simply leave.

“One time we had a whole bunch of people that were reading the same series, just coincidentally, so they all stayed after and went to their own table and just talked about the series that they were reading,” Griessel recalls.

She gets energy from other people, she said, and she likes being around others, without the pressure of having to talk.

“I believe that people are born for human connection, but probably that’s on the spectrum,” she said. “So many people really, really need it a lot of the time and others maybe just need it in small doses, and also on their own terms.”

Updates on book club gatherings are available on the Tucson SBC Silent Book Club Facebook page.