A new speed dating event hits Baton Rouge

Dating is an art. There’s a science to it–and a bit of luck as well. In the Red Stick, many people seem to be searching for that perfect someone, with some experiencing very little luck. 

Cue Chicago-born Hannah Wilson. She says she has spent much of her time on dates that she would figure out in the first five minutes that she had no interest in being on. But you can’t really say that to a person IRL. So, she thought, what if there was a way to fit at least 15 dates into the same time frame? Enter speed dating. 

“I was like, ‘Well, I keep going on apps and I don’t know where else I’m supposed to meet somebody because everybody else here I feel like gets married when they’re like 5,’” Wilson says. 

After hard launching her boyfriend on Valentine’s Day and quickly realizing he was on multiple dating apps at the time, Wilson dropped him. She decided she wanted a break from dating apps and wanted to try for an organic meet and greet, which led her to speed dating. 

In April 2024, the LSU alumna launched her own event in New Orleans called NOLA Speed Dating. She quickly realized it was a success when people drove in from all over Louisiana and Mississippi for the chance to meet that special someone.  

Now, she’s bringing the fun to Baton Rouge with Red Stick Speed Dating.

“We either work from home or we go to our jobs where we see the same group of people every day,” Wilson says. “We’re kind of stuck in our same routines. I just wanted to give people another way to connect.” 

Her first Capital Region event was at Somewhere Neighborhood Bar. Each event is geared toward a specific age range; this one was for heterosexual individuals between 30 and 45 years old. As she expands her business, so will the age categories and sexual orientations. 

Also a content creator, Wilson has created an Instagram account for both the New Orleans and Baton Rouge events to highlight the who, what, when and where for every event. 

For every event, attendees purchase tickets, usually around $25, on Eventbrite to reserve their seats. Once they arrive, Wilson has them fill out basic contact information and asks if the people they are interested in that night may contact them the following night. 

Then, each “couple” sits and talks face to face for about three to five minutes until time is up. Wilson says the window is the perfect amount of time for a person to know if they might be interested in the other or not. Then they switch. 

Attendees use a sheet of paper to jot down their interests and take notes. But they don’t fill the card out in front of the other person, Wilson says. She says that even if you don’t leave the event with your soulmate, it’s a place you could make more connections and even gain a friend or two.

“Is it a guarantee that you will meet the love of your life?” Wilson says. “No. I can’t guarantee that. But a lot of the time, the guys will befriend each other or the girls will befriend each other.” 

Wilson has hosted around 150 to 200 events since the inception in New Orleans in 2024, and she plans to make Red Stick Speed Dating as big as the events in the 504. 

Wilson’s biggest goal is to calm the nerves people get around dating. She says that so many people get themselves so nervous before going out with someone that they don’t get the chance to actually enjoy the spontaneity and excitement of the actual date. 

“I feel like once we kind of remove the fear from it, like it actually is a lot more fun and it’s not as scary at the end of the day, like it’s supposed to be,” Wilson says. 

Her favorite part about hosting speed dating events is seeing all the people learn to love dating again and rebuilding the faith they they might find the one in a non-traditional setting. 

“I know a lot of people have told me afterward, ‘This gave me the courage to go out and talk to people like at a bar or go on dates with guys,’” Wilson says. “Because really, at the end of the day, it’s just meeting people and getting to know people.” 

The next Red Stick Speed Dating event will be on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at Mid City Beer Garden for heterosexuals aged 25 to 35. Find more information here.