Meeting people in Des Moines becomes much easier when you choose activities that bring the same people together regularly. A weekly run, class, club meeting, volunteer shift, or recreation league gives conversations time to develop into real friendships.
The ideas below are designed for residents and newcomers, not tourists looking for a one-time attraction. Pick one or two that fit your interests, show up more than once, and give people a chance to recognize you.
Great Ways To Make Friends And Meet People In Des Moines
1. Browse current Des Moines Meetup groups
Meetup’s current Des Moines directory gathers local groups and recurring activities in one place. Rather than choosing solely by group size, look for something with a clear schedule and a format that encourages conversation. Walking groups, book discussions, maker meetups, language exchanges, and hobby clubs usually make it easier to see familiar faces again.
2. Join the Newcomers Compass Club
You do not have to be brand new to the area to join the Newcomers Compass Club. Its luncheons, coffee gatherings, game groups, sports, service projects, and special-interest activities are built around helping both new and longtime residents connect. A club with several recurring formats also lets you find the kind of interaction that feels most natural to you.
3. Sign up for an adult recreation league
The city’s adult recreation schedules include recurring options such as softball, flag football, pickleball, ultimate Frisbee, and bags leagues. Team sports make introductions easier because you immediately have a shared task, a predictable schedule, and time to talk before or after each game.
4. Run with Capital Striders
Capital Striders offers weekly group runs and workouts for different paces and experience levels. Running beside someone creates an easy setting for conversation, while a steady weekly routine gives you the repetition that new friendships need. Check the club’s current schedule before attending because meeting locations can change.
5. Try a Des Moines Public Library book group
The Des Moines Public Library’s book-club calendar lists recurring discussions at several branches. Because everyone arrives with the same book as a conversation starter, you do not have to invent small talk from scratch. Returning to the same branch and discussion series makes it easier to become part of the group.
6. Take an adult class at the Botanical Garden
The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden runs adult workshops around plants, gardening, art, design, food, and wellness. A hands-on class gives you something concrete to do while you talk, which can feel less pressured than attending a purely social event.
7. Learn alongside other adults at the Art Center
The Des Moines Art Center offers adult studio classes in ceramics, drawing, photography, painting, jewelry, printmaking, and other media. Multi-week classes are especially useful for meeting people because classmates have time to exchange ideas, notice one another’s progress, and continue conversations from week to week.
8. Learn to curl with the local club
The Des Moines Curling Club runs learn-to-curl opportunities, leagues, and club activities at the MidAmerican Energy RecPlex. Curling is collaborative and relatively unusual, so beginners already have something in common. Helping set up equipment and learning the game together can make the club feel social from the start.
9. Volunteer at the Botanical Garden
If you prefer contributing to a shared place, explore the Botanical Garden’s volunteer roles. Ongoing opportunities can involve horticulture, guest services, education, art, or events. Choose a role you can repeat, since regular shifts are far more useful for building relationships than a single volunteer day.
10. Get involved backstage at the Playhouse
The Des Moines Community Playhouse welcomes volunteers in guest services, backstage work, and productions, with no prior experience required for many roles. Community theatre naturally brings people together around a project, and working toward opening night creates repeated contact and a strong shared purpose.
11. Practice speaking with a Toastmasters club
Greater Des Moines Toastmasters is open to interested visitors and meets regularly in West Des Moines. Members practice speaking, listening, and giving supportive feedback, so the structure removes much of the uncertainty of walking into a new group.
12. Grow something at Franklin Community Garden
The city’s Franklin Community Garden program combines individual plots with shared volunteer responsibilities. Gardeners tend their own space but also help keep common areas functioning, creating natural reasons to exchange advice and work alongside neighbors through the growing season.
13. Volunteer with the Street Collective
At the Street Collective community bike shop, volunteers can learn repair skills, help with bikes, or support bike-valet and bikeshare activities. It is a practical option for people who like doing something with their hands while meeting others who care about walking, cycling, and the city.
14. Support an adult learner through DMACC
The DMACC Adult Literacy Center connects volunteers with adults working on reading, writing, speaking, and other foundational skills. This is more purposeful than a casual mixer, and it can connect you with staff and other volunteers who value learning and community support.
15. Explore local social, service, and professional clubs
For a membership-based social setting, Wakonda Club offers social and golf memberships, while the Des Moines Embassy Club combines two clubhouses with business and social membership. Both require a larger commitment than a drop-in event, so review the membership expectations before deciding whether the environment fits you.
Service and professional communities offer a different route. The Rotary Club of Des Moines combines community service with fellowship, the West Des Moines Elks Lodge has recurring member meetings and community programs, and BNI Referral Resources is designed for local professionals who want a recurring networking group. You can also use Nextdoor’s Des Moines community to discover neighborhood activities, but verify the exact organizer and meeting details before attending anything posted by an individual.
Turn Repeated Contact Into Real Friendships
The activity matters, but consistency matters more. Choose a setting where conversation can happen, attend several times, and follow up with the people you enjoy talking to. If you want a practical framework for doing that, start with our guide on how to build a social circle from scratch.
For a more complete approach to meeting compatible people and turning new contacts into friends, check out the Get The Friends You Want eBook.