A common expression heard around town is, “There’s nothing to do in Rexburg.”

Or is there?

Junior marketing major Adam Atkinson wants to change that perception.

In June 2025, Atkinson created "Things to do in Rexburg," a website and Instagram account that highlight activities happening around town—from parties and events to meal deals and promotions from local businesses.

The idea

Atkinson is from Twin Falls, Idaho. Growing up, he and his family would take vacations in eastern Idaho.

“A lot of times, with my family, we’d come to this side of Idaho to go camping, go adventuring, and I’ve always loved adventures," Atkinson said. "So when I got here I was like, ‘Okay, I know there’s some good spots in the mountains.’”

Atkinson said when he first got to BYU-Idaho, he made friends with people who knew about good spots for adventures and parties. They would make group chats to spread the word on these activities.

“They all graduated and all those group chats kind of died off," Atkinson said. "I was like, ‘I feel like I should help other people know where the good spots are.’ That’s why I started 'Things to do in Rexburg.'”

This initial idea led to "Things to do in Rexburg," where Atkinson lists activities he has tried. These include spots in town, nearby outdoor adventures and things to do in the winter.

Atkinson also does influencer marketing for Grand Teton Ancient Grains, which helped him learn tactics to spread the word about "Things to do in Rexburg."

"What they do is they tag us and I put it on our story, and we gain like 30,000 followers just from doing that," Atkinson said. "I was like, ‘maybe I could do that with this.’”

The execution

The Instagram account recently hit 1,000 followers. The purpose of the account is to drive traffic to the website.

Part of Atkinson's strategy is messaging businesses over social media in order to collaborate and spark a relationship.

“If they’re throwing a party or they have something new, they’ll tag me and they’ll ask me to collaborate," Atkinson said. "I’d also reach out to ask them if they could give me discounts or promos.”

"Things to do in Rexburg" covers a variety of events, deals and promotions in town.

Atkinson has collaborated with restaurants like The Hickory, FizzRizz and Sugarbeast, as well as party venues like The Hangar. He also does giveaways and sponsorships to increase engagement.

Atkinson pointed out a "culture" of people not knowing what there is to do in Rexburg, and he hopes to correct that.

He also plans to stay in Rexburg and keep running the account even after he graduates. Most of all, Atkinson wants to grow the website and really make sure people know how to have fun in Rexburg.

“I think I’ve just seen that they’re really excited to learn that there [are] things to do," Atkinson said. "A lot of the people in Rexburg are brand new, [there hasn’t] been enough time here to learn what there is.”