‘Soft clubbing’ parties, where you can skip the headaches, are trending

Lynda Sharp likes to dance. If there’s music within earshot, she’s got the moves.

“Whenever there’s music, I’m bopping. I’m dancing. Even when I’m driving, I’m dancing,” Sharp said, laughing. The 45-year-old Johns Creek mother of two said that in addition to her affinity for cutting a rug (or, a car seat), she loves her children, her husband and — these days — a good night’s sleep.

So, when she heard about Earlybirds Club, a national organization that throws early evening dance parties for moms like her (and is hosting an already sold-out event at The Loft in February), she was all in.

Sharp isn’t alone. Folks all over Atlanta and beyond are putting more of a premium on their health by going to bed earlier and drinking less, but that doesn’t mean they don’t still want to go out and have a good time.

Some have dubbed the trend “soft clubbing.”

Call it what you like, it’s caught on — with events like Earlybirds Club gaining popularity as well as other late afternoon or early evening shindigs around metro Atlanta where venues host afternoon dances and daytime coffee parties.

Bolstering this focus on healthier sleep habits, it seems Americans in general have embraced a less booze-soaked nightlife, too. The percentage of U.S. adults consuming alcohol, according to a July 2025 Gallup survey, has fallen to 54% — the lowest in 90 years.

Even at events such as Earlybirds Club, where many participants can and do drink, the focus is less on alcohol and more on well-being — both mental and physical.

“A lot of women in my age group can’t tolerate alcohol anymore,” said Laura Baginski, the 50-year-old co-founder of Earlybirds Club. “Despite the fact that some of the women do have a drink or two at our events, it’s still very health forward. It’s about mental health and you’re also getting your cardio out there on the dance floor … you’re getting your steps in.” (In addition to women, Earlybirds Club is inclusive to trans and nonbinary individuals.)

Chicago resident Baginski, who is also a mother, said Gen Z in particular “has helped us all figure out that putting our health first is important … and I for one truly don’t have the ability to stay out late anymore, and I really don’t want to.”

Plus, added Baginski, “Clubs probably wouldn’t want to see a 50-year-old woman like myself rolling up at 2 a.m. That would just be sad.”

These days, moms like Baginski probably would prefer 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. anyway.

Lore nightclub, which opened on Edgewood Avenue in March, features everything from afternoon dance parties to drag shows. (Ben Gray for the AJC)

Venues around Atlanta are paying attention. Lore, an Edgewood Avenue nightclub, for instance, regularly hosts afternoon dance parties. Similarly, Palo Santo, a West Midtown restaurant, hosts daytime coffee dance parties.

Felipe Rivera, a partner at Palo Santo, said the business “wanted to create an event centered around wellness, positivity and meaningful conversation. Our House Brew Parties have helped Atlantans connect with each other outside of the typical nightlife scene but still offer what people love the most about that atmosphere with great music, energy and dancing.”

When there’s dancing at Everett’s Music Barn in Suwanee, it tends to be driven by a banjo or vocal harmonies. Event organizers there, too, have found the audience prefers an earlier night than they used to.

“For 60 years we opened at 8 o’clock. I’ve got a little older now … and we have an older crowd, too. Since we started opening at 7, everybody likes it a lot better,” said Tommy Everett, who refers to himself as “caretaker” of Everett’s Music Barn.

“You hate to change anything that’s been working for 60 years, but we changed and it seems to be for the better.”

Atlanta resident Jared Gaitan, a DJ who runs Ent Party ATL, an entertainment business, said there does seem to be a trend toward early afternoon and even morning parties.

“You’d think at some of these events that it’s like 11 at night … it’s dark, we have lights, we have DJs and robots, but no, we’re talking about 11 in the morning,” Gaitan said, laughing.

Gaitan, 45, added that he believes part of the reason for the shift toward earlier events has to do with “people our age who don’t want to deal with other people out there late drunk driving and the possibility of car accidents.”

Plus, said Earlybirds Club co-founder Baginski, late nights “don’t necessarily mean more fun than early evening or daytime. … People are realizing that having a good night’s sleep is pretty important for your health.”