Tucson moms are swapping playgrounds for mall hallways and finding community along the way.

What started in May as a small meetup of four has grown into a bustling collective where dozens of parents and children gather to walk, chat and connect, all while beating the summer heat indoors.

The Tucson Mom Walk Collective is one of more than 450 mom walk collectives in the United States. Moms from across the city are meeting up and walking in various indoor locations, including the Tucson Mall.

“I noticed there wasn’t a mom walk collective in Tucson and I said to myself, ‘I can either wait ‘til someone makes one here, or make it now,’” Tucson Mom Walk Collective founder Melissa Cota told Tucson Spotlight.

Cota was hesitant at first, having never hosted anything like this before.

“I’m a stay-at-home mom and was pretty nervous to start this. But with all of the support, it’s been easy,” she said. “Because it’s so hot outside, we needed an inside space. I felt like the mall would be great because they have a walking time in the morning.”

After having her baby last year, Cota said she was having a hard time finding spaces where other moms were gathering.

“I noticed that was a common thing with other moms I talked to in Tucson,” she said. “A lot of moms are also looking for that community and space.”

The nationwide collective got its start in 2022. The Tucson branch has already grown substantially since starting in May.

“The first event I hosted was in May, there were only 4 of us and it was pretty hot. Since then it’s just completely blown up,” said Cota.

After Cota posted a video on TikTok of the collective at the Tucson Mall, she received many comments from other moms asking how to join or for details about the next meet-up.

At least 30 attendees came to the group’s next meet-up. They walked around the mall a few times, then spent time in the play area, with the moms drinking coffee while their kids played.

“We’re getting moms from all over Tucson, Green Valley and Vail,” she said. “They’re willing to drive wherever because they are just looking for that community.”

Walking groups in Tucson have expanded beyond moms looking for community.

University of Arizona senior and Tucsonan Megan Bime started a walking club earlier this month, centered around the idea of women meeting on campus.

“I knew my freshman year was a really hard time for me to make friends, especially with having a new sense of independence and transitioning into a new environment,” Birne said. “Now being a senior, I’m in a position where I have been blessed to meet new people and find different communities on campus, so I wanted to share that with new girls coming to college for the first time.”

The group meets at the student union the second and fourth Saturday of the month, walking to well-known campus landmarks, including  the turtle pond and Highland Bowl.

“Typically, I like to bring in water and snacks for girls to grab before we begin and I also pass out name tags to make it easier for new people to know each other,” Birne said. “As someone who’s always loved fitness and wanted to be more consistent, I knew other girls were probably in the same mindset, so I wanted to create a space for girls to hold each other accountable and also branch out to know new people.”

Both Bime and Cota are using social media to their advantage, helping to grow their communities. Bime has been promoting her group on Instagram, and Cota has been posting  on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

“A lot of people have found us through TikTok. Through socials you can RSVP to any event you want to come to, it’s all free. It’s super welcoming and warm when you get here,” Cota said. “We also had a meetup at Harley Coffee Company, which was nice because moms, strollers and babies can get rowdy but it was great that they wanted to host us.”

Thanks to its rapid growth, the Tucson Mom Walk Collective has been able to partner with local businesses. These partnerships allow Cota to continue networking with more moms, making the collective an experience not just for moms but also for local companies.

Cota and Bime are helping Tucson residents forge connections more easily, as their walks with new friends keep growing longer.

These two women are helping make it easier to forge connections in Tucson, even as their walks with new friends keep growing longer.

“We walk. We connect. We have fun,” Bime said on her Wellnesswalkaz page.

Macy Hernandez is a journalism and business administration major at the University of Arizona and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at macyhernandez@arizona.edu.

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