Whether you’re interested in pottery, pasta-making, or coffee-brewing, a new initiative is helping Torontonians explore the many creative activities offered right here in the city. Co-founders Mansi Calapatti and Roxy Promhouse started Maza Hobbies after both women noticed the same patterns emerging in their local creative scenes—Calapatti in Toronto, and Promhouse in Vancouver.
“We were both doing a lot of creative workshops in our cities and kept running into the same frustration: incredible workshops were so hard to find!” says Promhouse.
The pair spoke to many people who were interested in exploring creative activities, but would get stuck in a rut of saving posts on social media without actually signing up. So, Calapatti and Promhouse began posting content on Instagram about a year ago. Their online community was resonating with the same ideas: they were constantly feeling drained or burnt out from work and were craving something creative to refill their battery.
“We also spoke to a ton of local businesses who were really struggling to get new foot traffic into their studios, but they were offering really fun and exciting workshops,” Calapatti says. “So we thought, how can we try to bridge that gap between locals who want to explore and businesses who want to get more customers through the door? And that was the birth of Hobby Hop.”
Maza Hobbies’ Hobby Hop passport allows participants to browse through a curated list of creative workshops run by local businesses in Toronto and Vancouver. Rather than signing up for a full-priced workshop on a provider’s website, users can get a small discount by coming through Hobby Hop, with added perks like rewards and free classes.
In Fall 2025, Calapatti and Promhouse launched the first edition of Hobby Hop. Calapatti says that about 68% of their participants actually booked a workshop—rather than getting stuck in the loop of browsing through endless options. In large cities where so much is happening, channels like social media or Eventbrite can quickly become overwhelming to navigate. The curated lists on Hobby Hop make finding these workshops easy for users.
“The idea is it’s all in one spot,” Calapatti says. “It’s easy for the user to browse and find something that they’re interested in.”
With their fall pilot, Calapatti shares that people were also quite pleased with the variety of activities offered. “People discovered things that they never knew about, which is great,” she says. Some of Toronto’s fall offerings included wheel throwing at The Danforth Art Studio, perfume making at Orris Labs, matcha making at 10 Dean, and encaustic art at PH1 Studios.
Since starting Maza Hobbies, the duo says they’ve noticed an uptick in folks gravitating towards hands-on, screens-off activities. Promhouse herself has experienced the benefits of these kinds of hobbies. A few years ago, she had just gotten out of a long term relationship and was trying to find herself again. “I took up wheel throwing, dancing, and violin, and really loved how they all got me out of my head and into my body,” she says. “It was amazing feeling more grounded, and getting to connect with people, even though I’m a bit more shy.”
Calapatti adds that Hobby Hop participants have shared the mental health benefits that can come from these workshops.
“We’ve heard from folks that these workshops offer sort of an escape from this world that we feel like we always have to be connected in,” she says. Since the start of 2026, “analog hobbies” have surged in popularity. More people are turning to slow-paced, tactile, offline activities like needlepointing, jigsaw puzzles, and reading as an antidote to the all-consuming nature of technology in our lives. “These creative workshops aren’t just a fun thing to do. It’s also actually really powerful for your mental health,” Calapatti says.
Right now, Hobby Hop is operating seasonally, with the next edition launching on May 1. The duo hopes they can transition to a year-round model that can provide access to creative experiences at any time inspiration may strike. For now, those interested can sign up for the waitlist on Maza Hobbies’ website for early access to browse through workshops, discounted pricing, and exclusive giveaways.
While both Calapatti and Promhouse have full-time jobs, they’re passionate about Maza Hobbies, so their evenings and weekends are spent continuing to grow their community of creative-minded Canadians. “We really see the value in being able to connect with our community and local artists, and workshops are a great place to find that connection,” Promhouse says. “It’s a win-win on both sides!”
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