Whether you just moved to the 804 or have been here all your life, it can be tough to put yourself out there and meet new people. We’re here to help you channel your inner social butterfly in a way that feels comfortable for you — from outgoing social clubs and sports leagues to low-vibration reading parties.
Here’s to new friendships and “getting out there” in the River City.
Get the ball rolling
Meetup is a useful online tool for finding local groups, whether you’re searching for a niche hobby club or a broader community of people, such as older adult clubs or women’s organizations.
Trying to Adult RVA and Social Club RVA are specifically designed to meet new pals.
River City Sports & Social Club is an expansive outlet for adult recreational sports, including options like basketball, bowling, cornhole, dodgeball, and skee-ball (depending on the season).
Bonus: If you’re looking to make connections through business rather than socially, we’ve got you. Check out these networking groups.
Find your niche
We assembled a list of clubs and groups, categorized by interest + linked to their primary website so you can launch right into action:
Art/Architecture | Art Deco Society, Quoit Club
Cinema | Good for Her Films, Hardlight Cinema, Richmond City Cinema Club
Community Service | Keep Virginia Cozy
Crafting | River City Knitters, RVA Queer Crafters
Dance | The Dance Friends, Richmond Tango, RVA Square Dance, RVA Swing
Dogs | Richmond Dachshund Meetup Group, RVA Pug Meetup, Ruff Canine Club
Human and pup friendships can be formed at various dog meetup groups. | Photo via Dachtoberfest
Female friendship | New Virginians Women’s Club, The Black Girl Social Club
Game development | RVA Game Design
Hiking/Walking | 20s & 30s Hiking and Outdoor Adventures Group, Homegirl Hike, James River Hikers, Trail Kids RVA
Parents or guardians + young explorers can make new friends together. | Photo by Trail Kids RVA
Languages | Alliance Française de Richmond, Language Exchange in Richmond, Richmond German Language Meetup, Richmond Spanish Language Meetup,
Outdoors | Richmond Tree Stewards
Reading | Melanin & Manuscripts Book Club, Silent Reading Party Richmond, RVA Queer Book Club
Opt for a quiet atmosphere at a reading party. | Photo by Melanin and Manuscripts
Running | RVA Running, Sunrise Social Club
Sports | River City Sports & Social Club, CLUBWAKA, Richmond Volleyball Club
Sobriety/Alcohol-free | Tiny Adventures
Tabletop games | RVA Pieces, Richmond Chess Social, Scott’s Addition Board Game Society
Vegan/Vegetarian | Vegan Club RVA, Vegetarian Society of Richmond + RVA Vegans
Video Games | DawnStar Smash
Writing | James River Writers
Have a group you want us to add to our list? Let us know and we’ll check it out.
Classes + workshops
We didn’t even begin to cover the universe of educational and creative workshops available in RVA. Don’t worry — we already have a separate guide for adult classes, and here’s a sneak peek to get you started:
Visual Arts Center of Richmond | Build relationships throughout multi-week classes focusing on art and writing.
Quarry | Channel your creativity with cozy + crafty classes, writing workshops, and social gatherings.
Mise En Place | Learn from the best at these covetable kitchen classes.
Richmond Parks and Recreation | Give loom weaving, pickleball, or aerobics a go — the options are vast.
Sneed’s Nursery | Put your green thumb to the test with plant pros.
