What to know
- Winnie Chen, Nina Guo, and Harrison Wong are the organizers behind the viral 1,000 person picnic at Centennial Park in Toronto, where they played matchmaker.
- They’ll be bringing their matchmaking skills to Veld Music Festival on Aug. 1 and 2.
- They started organizing meet-ups because they felt they couldn’t make genuine connects on dating apps like Hinge and Tinder.
Would you go on a curated blind date at Veld?
The same girl who brought together over 1,000 people for a social event at Toronto’s Centennial Park last summer, and again earlier this month, will be bringing her matchmaking skills to the electronic dance music festival Veld.
Toronto content creator Winnie Chen went viral last May for inviting strangers on social media to a huge potluck-style picnic in the city, which became a hit amongst young people. She then organized a similar event this summer, which went down on July 10.
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Later this month, Chen, Nina Guo — who is known for hosting events for young single Torontonians to match up romantically — and Harrison Wong, who hosts the street interview show Something Wong, will be using the Veld weekend to bring together EDM lovers who are tired of swiping endlessly on dating apps.
Now Toronto reached out to Chen, Guo, and Wong to find out what the trio learned through their adventures hosting meet-ups in Toronto.
Chen said she came up with the idea of hosting a meetup at Veld because she has friends who already had tickets to the festival. Also, at the July 10 picnic at Centennial Park, there was a DJ playing EDM music, which also encouraged the idea to try hosting a gathering at the electronic music festival.
The state of dating in 2026
Despite dating apps promising to make finding love easier for perpetually single young people, Chen said they haven’t worked for her or her friends.
“I feel that current dating apps are so shallow and there isn’t a story to tell when you meet people on an app,” she told Now Toronto.
“I’ve tried them, and my friends have all tried them. They work for some people, but a majority of my friends who are swiping are still single.”
Wong agreed, explaining that a smattering of photos and a short profile don’t actually showcase a person’s personality, their communication style, or how they make you feel in the moment.
“Dating apps don’t always lead to connections. Many feel like they’re constantly judging or being judged based on a few photos instead of who they really are,” he said.
“Meeting someone in real life creates an energy that an app can’t replicate. Sometimes you don’t actually know what you’re looking for until you’re sitting across from them and there’s a genuine spark.”
Because of how prevalent dating apps are, between Bumble, Hinge, Tinder, and a host of others, Chen believes we have collectively forgotten about “serendipity and organic hangouts that bring people together.”
Removing appearances
During the meetups Chen, Guo, and Wong organize, participants are blindfolded from the get-go, so no one can make any split-second assumptions.
It’s like Love Is Blind, without the pressure of getting engaged after a mere 10 days.
By wearing blindfolds, Wong said people were able to “form a first impression based on conversation and chemistry instead.”
“That’s why the experience resonated with so many people. It reminded everyone that real human connection starts with getting to know the person, not just their profile.”
At their last picnic, the trio managed to create 10 matches. Eight of those pairings said they wanted to continue seeing each other after the picnic.
“The biggest surprise for me wasn’t that people matched; it was realizing that so many
people in Toronto are actively looking for a place where they feel they belong,” Wong detailed.
“They’re craving genuine connection and when given the right environment, they’re willing to be vulnerable and take that chance.”
