Date my friend? In SF, dating flyers are the new personal ad

Rather than doling out dates one by one, Wheeler and Kennedy decided to throw a party, and invite all the interested women, plus any of their single friends (both male and female) to join the festivities. It all led to last Saturday’s 50 First Dates-themed “I believe in a thing called love” party at Fort Mason, attended by around 100 people who came to flirt over White Claws, rub shoulders underneath a “compliment circle” (a large parachute, the kind you used to play with in pre-school), and test their compatibility over thumb wars and mural making.  

“I can’t date over 100 people,” said Wheeler in a phone call ahead of the party, which also doubled as his 37th birthday bash. “The very least I could do is just throw a big mixer, and invite all my single guy friends, and just have a big party, so I can say thank you to everyone.”  

The partygoers came with a range of expectations and intentions last Saturday—from wingmen and women lending their support for Wheeler to curious singles who wound up there after falling into an Instagram rabbit hole. Many found the quirky games and setups for possible meet-cutes preferable to the endless doom swiping of Tinder, Hinge and Bumble.