How to promote a local event for free
Last checked October 27, 2026.
Most people find a local event in three places: a calendar they already check, a post where their town talks, and a flyer they walk past. All three are free. This page lists them in order, says what a good listing includes, and explains when paying for a listing is worth it.
The short answer
- Post the event on every free calendar your town uses: Patch, your town’s or library’s community calendar, and a ticketing site if you need RSVPs.
- Share it where neighbors talk: the town Facebook group, Nextdoor, school and church bulletins.
- Put up flyers with a QR code where people wait: the library, the coffee shop, the laundromat.
- Give every listing the same five facts: what, when, where, what it costs, and who it’s for.
- Pay only when time is short or every seat counts. On MailerDot, $10 lists it right away and $25 also puts it in the town’s daily email.
1. Post it on the free calendars
Start where people already look for things to do. Each listing takes a few minutes, and the same text works for all of them.
| Where | What it costs | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Patch | Free to list | Promoting it costs $1 a day per community, and shares it with nearby towns |
| Eventbrite | Free for free events | Paid tickets carry a 3.7% + $1.79 service fee per ticket, plus 2.9% payment processing per order |
| Town or library calendar | Usually free | Ask the town hall or the library who posts it, and how far ahead |
| MailerDot, standard listing | Free | Reviewed by a person when we get to it, which can take weeks; not guaranteed, and never in the email |
2. Share it where your town talks
- Post in the town’s community Facebook group and on Nextdoor. Check each group’s rules first: many allow events but not sales posts.
- Ask the school, the churches and the clubs whose members would come to add it to their bulletins.
- Put up a flyer with a QR code that opens the listing, where people stand and wait: the library, the coffee shop, the laundromat, the post office.
- Tell the businesses near the venue. A shop that gets the foot traffic will often put a flyer in its window.
3. Write a listing people act on
Every listing should answer the questions a neighbor asks before deciding to come. Write them once and paste the same text everywhere, so the details never disagree.
- What it is, in one plain line: “Free outdoor movie night, bring a blanket.”
- The date, the start time and, if it matters, the end time.
- The full address, and where to park.
- What it costs, or that it’s free. Say if you need to sign up.
- Who it’s for: families, adults, a club’s members, everyone.
- A photo from last time, if there was a last time.
4. When a paid listing is worth it
Free listings work when you have time. They stop working when the event is close, or when a free calendar’s review queue is longer than the days you have left. That is when a paid listing makes sense.
| MailerDot listing | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Free | On the town’s Events tab once a person approves it, below paid listings |
| Listing | $10 | An automated decision in seconds, then pinned on the town’s Events tab until the event date |
| Featured | $25 | The listing, plus a mention in the town’s daily email on the event day and the 4 days before: up to 5 emails, with at most 2 featured events in any one |
A simple test: if a ticket costs more than $10, one extra guest covers the listing. For a free event, pay when the date is close and the free review might not finish in time.