I am so fucking sick and tired of people complaining that modern society doesn't provide anything of leisure other than hyper-consumerism.
Bro, everywhere I go, whether it is a rural, suburban, or urban area there are festivals and other locally-held events taking place or are scheduled and many (if not most) of them are hosted on weekends so there is no excuse. Those are the perfect places to meet new people and bring culture to your life. Not everything has to be soulless. You're just way too afraid to get out of your comfort zone.
@arc I don't think they really mean that they think everyone is a scumbag, but public gatherings do bring in at least a couple of people that could ruin it.
I think young people choose not to go because local festivals tend to attract older people and they might get looks from them if they attend, unless the young people in question are the types who grew up in a more rural environment.
There is also the issue that unless an event is explicitly adults-only, there are going to be people who will bring their children, and that could ruin the moment for some people, and the events that are adults-only probably have alcohol, recreational drug-use, strippers, and/or gambling which might turn some people off.