From Salt Lake City out to the west side and down through the east bench to Sandy, Draper, Riverton and Herriman. Every group here meets on a regular schedule and welcomes people who come by themselves.
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Every group is checked with its organizer or its own website. If a listing says Call first, give them a quick call before you go. Know one we're missing?
Only groups with a set date show here. Senior centers, gyms, volunteer shifts, support groups and groups with changing schedules are in the full list below. Plans can change, so check a group's page before you go.
One-time events from local groups, picked because they're easy nights to meet people.
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Downtown, Sugar House, the Avenues, Rose Park · 22 groups
A friendly, non-competitive group run for every pace. Show up at the Garden Center on Sunday morning, sign the waiver and fall in with people running your speed. The club also runs Tuesdays at 6 PM from East High, Thursdays at 7 AM from rotating trailheads, and Saturdays at 8 AM from rotating spots.
A monthly climbing night for women and genderqueer climbers, run by The Front. It used to be called the Ladies Climbing Coalition, and a new name is coming soon. If you've never been to The Front before, your first visit is free, including harness, shoe and chalk rentals. If you have, you get half off a day pass.
A weekly casual chess night that's about community more than competition. All skill levels welcome, no sign-up: just show up ready to play. Bring a board and clock if you have one; equipment gets shared.
A small club for Go, the ancient strategy board game. Beginners through veterans are welcome, and regulars are happy to teach a newcomer at the board. Upcoming in-person dates are posted on their Meetup page.
A monthly book club for adults who want to make friends, have a snack and talk about a new book. Free copies of next month's pick are handed out at each meeting, so you can come once and leave with the next book.
A monthly crime and mystery reading group in Sugar House for amateur sleuths and armchair detectives. Everyone reads the same title, so the book does the ice-breaking for you.
A neighborhood book club in the Avenues reading a mix of new and classic titles. Newcomers can join any month. Each month’s pick is on the library’s event page.
A monthly reading group built around the library's adult reading challenge. Each month has a new prompt and everyone brings a different book, so there's no assigned reading to fall behind on.
A public speaking club that has met every Friday at lunch since 1988. Guests can RSVP on the club site and simply watch their first time.
A neighborhood service club that meets twice a month over lunch. The club invites visitors to come as guests and promises friendly folks who'll help you feel at home right away.
A weekly hands-on bike repair night for women and gender-expansive people. You work on your own bike with experienced help nearby in a friendly, inclusive shop.
A downtown county senior center with a full weekly calendar.
Ninety-minute shifts sorting and packing food. Request a shift online as an individual and you'll be placed on a work line with other volunteers, so there's a clear task and built-in conversation. Volunteers can be as young as 12 with an adult.
Be a “Big” to a local kid for at least a year. You can meet in the community two to four times a month, or meet weekly for an hour or so at an elementary school. Staff match you, train you and check in along the way. Apply online to start.
Be a friend to a young person who recently arrived in Utah as a refugee, helping them settle in and find their footing. It’s about eight hours a month together for one year, plus a weekly check-in. You must be 18 or older and pass a background check.
The IRC’s Salt Lake office needs youth mentors, homework helpers for refugee students and volunteers who set up homes for newly arrived families. Pick a role and apply on their volunteer page.
If you’ve run a business or worked in one, SCORE pairs you with local entrepreneurs who need advice. Plan on 15 to 20 hours a month. The Utah chapter is based in Salt Lake and serves the whole state.
A long-running hiking club whose volunteer leaders post hikes graded by difficulty, including after-work evening hikes through the fall. People routinely come alone and hike with the group, and you can join a few outings before becoming a member. Evening hikes taper off once the clocks change in November.
A monthly group for zine makers, artists and anyone creative. Using the library's zine collection for ideas, everyone makes pages side by side. No experience needed and no registration.
Practice speaking Italian and talk about Italian culture with native speakers in a friendly setting. All levels are welcome and there's no registration. Upcoming: Saturday, November 14, 4 to 5:30 PM at the Anderson-Foothill Branch (1135 S 2100 E), and Wednesday, November 18, 6 to 7:30 PM at the Chapman Branch. No December date is posted yet.
A quick round of hellos, an hour of quiet writing on your own project, then optional chatting after. Nobody has to share or get critiqued, so it's an easy, low-pressure way to be around other writers. Bring a laptop or notebook, and buying a drink is appreciated.
A loud, silly music bingo game where you mark off songs instead of numbers. You don't need a team, so it's easy to grab a card and chat with whoever's at the next table. The host runs more than 30 nights around the valley, so check their site for one near you.
Millcreek, Holladay, Murray, Midvale, Cottonwood Heights, South Salt Lake · 23 groups
A weekly drop-in where adults bring whatever knitting, crochet or other craft they're working on and stitch together. No lesson and no sign-up. It runs in English and Spanish. The room holds about 10, so arrive on time.
A casual group for writers at any level. Each meeting mixes optional sharing and feedback, talk about writing and quiet writing time with prompts. You don't need finished work, and sharing is never required.
A monthly evening book discussion with a new title each month. No registration, so you can come to any single meeting. Check the library calendar for the exact Tuesday.
A monthly Saturday-morning book club that welcomes new members, with picks ranging from historical fiction to true crime. No registration.
A free Sunday-morning yoga class in the city hall's top-floor event space, followed by a free mat Pilates class at 10:30 if you want to stay. Reserve a free ticket through the Millcreek Common site.
A twice-monthly Friday dance that opens with a beginner lesson and turns into an open social dance. No partner needed; partners rotate during the lesson. Check the organizer's site for the current price.
A service club that meets twice a month for a local speaker and a light dinner, plus hands-on service projects and monthly socials. Guests are welcome to visit before deciding to join.
A county senior center with card and game tables most days.
A county senior center with some unusual weekly offerings.
A monthly jam where adults of every skill level play ukulele together. Song charts go up on a big screen, so you just bring a ukulele and follow along with the room.
A twice-monthly salsa, bachata and cumbia night that opens with a beginner class, then becomes an open social. No partner needed; the class rotates partners, and the studio says many dancers come solo. An optional bachata class starts at 8:30 for $20.
A volunteer-run table tennis club that welcomes players at any level. Come during visitor hours and you'll be matched with other players, so there's no need to bring a partner. All are welcome regardless of what they contribute.
Origami artist S. Matthew Jones teaches Japanese paper folding every Saturday. Beginners come at 11 for basic instruction, and folders who want a challenge stay for the advanced hour from noon. Just drop in.
A casual, mixed-gender, LGBTQ+ friendly book group that welcomes all ages. Upcoming dates are November 21, December 19 and January 16. Copies of each month's book wait on the book-club holds shelf at Granite.
Handwork gives you something to do while you get to know people, which makes these easy to walk into alone. All skill levels are welcome.
An adult book club for literary fiction that welcomes a wide range of opinions. Didn't finish the book? Come anyway, as long as you don't mind spoilers. Upcoming dates are November 21 and December 19.
"A social club with a running problem." Runners of every speed, including casual joggers, head out together at 8 AM, then share a potluck afterward, so bring something to share. The meeting spot changes each week, so check the club's site before you go.
A casual guided bird walk for LGBTQIA+ adults and allies, made for meeting people. No birding experience needed, binoculars and field guides are available to borrow, and the grounds are wheelchair accessible. Sign up with the short form on the Aviary's page. The next walks are November 29 and December 27.
A weekly Saturday night of line dancing, country swing and West Coast Swing. The 7 PM line dance class is an upper-level class, so newer dancers may want to arrive at 8 for the open social dance, where line dances don't need a partner. Call to ask about beginner lessons.
A weekly open mic at a live-music bar. Sign up to perform through the bar's form, or just come to listen and cheer on whoever's brave enough to play.
A drop-in improv comedy session where complete beginners are welcome. You'll play simple improv games with a friendly group, and no experience or acting background is needed. It's mostly adults, though all ages can come. Donations are appreciated through a membership with the nonprofit that supports it.
"A book, a place to talk and most of all, a place to make friends." A small monthly book club for seniors, with no registration. The room holds about 10, so arrive on time. Upcoming: November 28 and December 12.
Help an adult in your community build reading, math and life skills, one on one. Tutors must be 18 or older with a high school diploma or GED. The Salt Lake office is in Murray.
Taylorsville, West Valley City, Kearns, Magna · 14 groups
Walk for 30 minutes, then talk about the book for 30. Each book is read in sections over three weeks, so you can join partway through. Run by the Taylorsville Library, which is meeting at the rec center while the library is closed. A few Thursdays are skipped, so check the calendar.
A monthly group for writers of any genre whose motto is “If you're writing, you're welcome.” Members set goals for their own projects and check in each month. Upcoming: November 10 and December 1.
A guided, hands-on art hour run by the Magna Arts Council, using relaxing techniques like watercolor and line art. No experience needed. Ages 16 and up; registration fills, so sign up early. Upcoming: November 18 and December 16.
Open drop-in pickleball in the rec center gym, Monday through Friday mornings plus early Saturdays. Regulars rotate partners, so you can come alone and get into games. Gym schedules can change, so call ahead.
A county senior center with weekly game tables and a few rare finds.
A county senior center with beginning line dancing every Friday at 10 AM (no partner needed), card games Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:30, Sew-N-Sews on Tuesdays at 9 and pottery on Thursdays at 12:30.
A monthly circle for tatting, the old craft of making lace with a small shuttle. Complete beginners learn alongside experienced tatters, and the group describes itself as a place to make friends and share what you know. Upcoming: November 21 and December 19.
A monthly writers group for every skill level, with a published author on hand to give suggestions and help. Bring whatever you're working on.
A relaxed evening group for anyone who knits, crochets or spins yarn. Bring whatever you're working on, ask questions or help a beginner; spinners can bring a wheel or drop spindle. It doesn't meet every week, so check the calendar. Upcoming: November 12 and December 10.
A monthly evening craft session for ages 16 and up, with a different project each month and supplies on the table. The next one is November 10.
A local game shop with card and miniature game nights almost every day. Friday casual Magic: The Gathering Commander is the easiest way in: a multiplayer format where you sit down with whoever is there. Bring your own deck. Other nights cover Lorcana, One Piece, Warhammer and more.
A weekly bilingual (English and Spanish) chess club where you can learn, practice and play casual games. Walk in, no sign-up. Open to all ages, and adults are welcome.
Salt Lake's long-running country dance hall teaches free line dance lessons every Saturday night, with a new dance each month, then social dancing after. No sign-up and no partner needed. Lessons are free with the door cover.
A free, drop-in English class focused on everyday conversation. Beginners meet at 10 AM and intermediate learners at 11 AM. A friendly way to practice and meet other people new to the area.
Sandy, Draper, West Jordan · 9 groups
One of Utah's biggest game stores, with a weekly open board game night on Tuesdays from 6:30 (play their demo games or bring your own) and tabletop role-playing nights on Mondays and Wednesdays, where game masters run tables you can join without bringing a group. Some nights carry a small fee. On Sundays at 1 PM, the 6,600-member Board Game Meetup: Salt Lake City Area hosts a free, relaxed game afternoon here, so new people are routine.
A weekly lunch-hour service club meeting with community speakers. In the club's own words, you don't need to know a single person in the room to belong.
A weekly early-morning public speaking club. Visitors are invited, with no pressure to speak until you're ready, so a first-timer can just watch.
A county senior center with a long list of weekly drop-in activities, including pottery, watercolor, mahjong and ukulele.
A county senior center where card and board game tables run several days a week. Bridge players often need a fourth, so a newcomer gets pulled into a game quickly.
A county senior center with some of the most surprising activities in the valley, including a weekly ax-throwing session.
Three small adult groups that meet on Saturdays, so they're easy to fit around a work week. Check the library calendar for this month's dates.
Indoor drop-in pickup games for adults. Pay at the door and get put into a game, no team or league needed. Volleyball runs Sundays 10 AM to noon, Saturdays 9 to 11 PM and Wednesdays 10 PM to midnight. Soccer runs Sundays 9:30 to 11:30 AM and Fridays 8 to 10 PM.
Open drop-in pickleball on the county rec center's indoor courts. Put your paddle in the rotation and play with whoever's there. Regulars are used to new faces, and Sunday is one of the longest sessions of the week.
Herriman, Riverton, South Jordan, Daybreak · 6 groups
A free weekly group run from a local running shop with 2, 3 and 5 mile options and every pace welcome. Pick the distance that suits you at the store, so nobody gets left behind.
Three easy ways in at one store.
A monthly evening book discussion for adults. Copies wait at the end of the holds area and no registration is needed. Upcoming: The Only One Left (Nov 4) and The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife (Dec 2).
An hour-long evening book discussion with copies available from the library. The library hasn’t posted the next date yet, so check its calendar or call the branch at 801-943-4636 before you go.
A weekly evening drop-in where adults bring knitting, crochet, embroidery, cross stitch or sewing and work side by side, sharing projects and ideas. Easy to join alone, since everyone's busy with their own work.
A county senior center with drop-in groups marked newcomer-friendly and weekday lunch.
Also see groups around Ogden, groups in Utah County, groups in Logan and groups in Southern Utah.
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