Valentine’s Day is approaching all too quickly, spewing red roses and boxes of chocolates in its wake, and what better way to show you care than to put together a mixtape for your nearest and dearest?

Spend an afternoon perusing the music collection, trying out different tracks, making it flow, working in secret in-jokes, and finding the joy in turning the sweetheart onto a new band. Then you just might be ready to try your hand at making mixtapes for like-minded strangers devoted to the art and exchange of the mix. Meet ‘em at the new free mixtape-exchange event series, launching Sunday, Jan. 31, and organized by the San Francisco Mixtape Society at the Make-Out Room.

The quarterly gathering’s inaugural theme: cities vs. towns. You don’t need to be a city slick or a tony townie to put together a mix based on that notion -- be it on cassette, CD, or USB -- and offer it up for judging (your peers and a panel of judges will look for the best track listings and artwork) and possible prizes. A raffle, eclectic tune-age spun by DJ Diego Baptista, and video art by local artists are also slated. And organizers promise you: Everyone who brings a mix will leave with an mix made by someone else.

San Francisco Mixtape Society happens Sunday, Jan. 31, 4-6 p.m., at the Make-Out Room, 3225 22nd St., SF. Free. (415) 647-2888.