Let’s explore social events in Portland, ME happening this week. Local events are a great way to meet new people and make new friends. Look through this page and consider going out and socializing during one of these social events.
Social events are great and offer a world of possibilities. You can make new friends, learn new skills, see things from different perspectives and it’s fantastic for your mental health. And never before has companionship and being able to spend time with others been as important as it is today.
You probably remember being a kid and going up to another person your age and saying, “Do you want to be friends?” and that was pretty much that. Friend made. Alas, it’s not quite as simple now that we’re grown up, but it doesn’t have to be as difficult or as awkward as we think. There are thousands of people out there who would love to meet up with others, finding them just takes a bit of help and that’s what we’re here for.
On this page, we hope you’ll find some interesting events in Portland where you can make some new friends.
Local Groups’ Events in Portland
New Folks Board Games @ Another Round
◦ When: Wednesday, Dec 18th
◦ Where: Another Round
This event is specifically for folks **new to meetup *or* Portland**. If you’ve been to less than 3 Portland Millennials meetups before and/or have moved to Maine within the last year, this is for you!
Meet us at [Another Round](https://www.anotherroundmaine.com/) at **6pm** to play some board games! Another Round is a board game cafe/bar so they have a huge [game library](https://www.anotherroun(…)
UX Maine Holiday Happy Hour!
◦ When: Tuesday, Dec 17th
◦ Where: The East Ender
Well that year flew by fast! Let’s reconvene and blow off some steam with a bit of holiday revelry and a reset for 2025. Just a chill night out at The East Ender, upstairs in the Hideaway. Cash bar. Purely social, UX talk encouraged but not required. Veterans and newcomers welcome. Come as you are. Hope to see you there!(…)
Weekly Hack Night
◦ When: Wednesday, Dec 18th
◦ Where: Big Room Studios
Bring your computer, an appetite, any projects you’re working on or ideas you’d like to discuss, and join us for our weekly meetup!
There’s no agenda, but we’re show & tell friendly. We love seeing what you’re working on! Discussion topics are including but not limited to:
* AI & machine learning
* Virtual and augmented reality
* Programming and software engineering
* Robots and hardware
* Game (…)
Board Game Club Meetup!!
◦ When: Thursday, Dec 19th
◦ Where: Panera Bread
Board Game Night!! All are welcome!! Come join us in playing all kinds of board games, whether it’s Catan, Cribbage, Splendor, Scrabble, or any other kind of board game that you like!! You can either bring a game of your own, or just play one of the many games that I always bring. You can come or go at whatever times are convenient for you. We usually meet from 6pm to 9:30 or so, every week, on al(…)
DevOps207 MeetUp at Novare Res
◦ When: Tuesday, Dec 17th
◦ Where: Novare Res Bier Cafe
This is a social meetup where we discuss all things DevOps! Meet with fellow professional and discuss what you are working on, the latest industry news or look for help on your job search.
If you aren’t a DevOps Engineer but want to be, this is also a great opportunity to meet some veterans and get some guidance on where to start.
Recruiters welcome! Sales pitches are not.
Novare Res can be kin(…)
Pathfinder Quest (Series 2) #17: Escorting a Mirage
◦ When: Wednesday, Dec 18th
◦ Where: Scarborough Public Library
Join our Lodge on Discord!
https://discord.gg/p6EEtJm4mF
A Pathfinder Society Quest designed for 1st- through 4th-level characters, playable in 2-3 hours.
A down-on-his luck Aspis Agent, relegated to Thuvia where Aspis operations have all but ceased, has found an unexpected opportunity for revenge. Zarta Dralneen is making a purchase in Merab, and what her purpose could be is the talk of the to(…)
OBP space tour.
◦ When: Saturday, Dec 21st
◦ Where: Open Bench Project
Come check out the OBP. Visit the shop, take a tour, see what people are working on. This is a pretty informal event, so feel free to show up, make a friend and chat. Learn about many of the things you could do at the space. Dream a little, Visualize the maker you’ve always wanted to be, and get started on a path to a whole new you.(…)
Factory 3 makerspace tour
◦ When: Thursday, Dec 19th
◦ Where: Factory 3
Join us most Thursdays and Saturdays for a 1/2 hour to 1 hour tour. Please send an email to [email protected] before signing up, to make sure the tour is on for the day you would like to attend.
We’ll show you our shops, common work areas, and private studios, and answer your questions about membership benefits.
Factory 3’s mission is to create a space, welcoming to all, that empowers makers to r(…)
Monthly crafting session
◦ When: Tuesday, Dec 17th
◦ Where: ME Sew Crafty
Hey everyone, there’s a chance of black ice tonight so the ME Sew Crafty owner Sara and I decided to postpone the crafting group to Tuesday, December 17th, 5-6:30pm. Sorry for the late notice! Let me know if you can make it to the changed date.(…)
Winter Solstice Energy Attunement & Vibrational Sound Immersion
◦ When: Friday, Dec 20th
◦ Where: Dragonfly Taiji Studio
Join us as we energetically tune in, recalibrate our nervous systems, and celebrate the Winter Solstice and Waning Gibbous Moon.
We will begin with Larry Landau leading us in a seasonal dharma talk to help us understand the energetic tone of the season and the impact of the solar and lunar energies, followed by some gentle Tai Chi movement to help stimulate and free up our energy flow.
This will b(…)
Local BIZness Network Weekly Meeting / Portland
◦ When: Thursday, Dec 19th
◦ Where: Stacks Pancake Co.
**Looking for local entrepreneurs and business to join us Thursdays from 8:30 – 9:30 AM for our weekly local business networking meeting. Please invite a friend or business associate to attend with you.**
**Local networking at its best!**
**Where?:**
**Stacks Pancake Company**
**139 Riverside Street**
**Portland, ME 04101**
**If you plan on attending in person, please arrive 15 minutes earlier (…)
Swirl, Smell, Sip, Read Book Club ☕️ 🍷 📚
◦ When: Friday, Dec 20th
◦ Where: TAJ
Hey folks! Our book selection is **”Holidays on Ice” by David Sedaris**. This is a hilarious collection of essays. 176 pages in total.
David Sedaris’s beloved holiday collection is new again with six more pieces, including a never before published story. Along with such favorites as the diaries of a Macy’s elf and the annals of two very competitive families, are Sedaris’s tales of tardy trick-or-(…)
Winter Solstice Sound Bath Meditation and Fire Release Ceremony
◦ When: Saturday, Dec 21st
◦ Where: Unity Center for Spiritual Growth, Maine
Join us on the Winter Solstice for a group meditation to balance our chakras, process the experiences of the past year and the lessons that we learned and set an intention for what you would like to create in the upcoming new year. We will meditate to the healing frequencies of crystal sound bowls, write down what we wish to release from 2024 and what we wish to create in 2025, and will manifest t(…)
Adult Ninja Bootcamp
◦ When: Thursday, Dec 19th
◦ Where: Maine Warrior Gym
Maine Warrior Gym is hosting a class to teach **you** how to train like an American Ninja Warrior. With our pro-rated obstacle and ninja course we have all the means necessary to train you to improve in the movements and skill set needed for that kind of competition.
Students will develop the strength to tackle the obstacles on the course, focusing on agility, grip strength, and static upper body(…)
Wee Ninja Squad – Ages 3 & 4!
◦ When: Friday, Dec 20th
◦ Where: Maine Warrior Gym
Get ready for action-packed fun in our Wee Ninja Class for kids ages 3-4! Led by our experienced coaches, this engaging group experience introduces young ninjas to the excitement of climbing, balancing, and playing interactive games. Through teamwork and exploration, your child will develop essential motor skills and confidence, setting the foundation for a lifetime of physical fitness and adventu(…)
Wee Ninja Squad – Ages 3 & 4!
◦ When: Tuesday, Dec 17th
◦ Where: Maine Warrior Gym
Get ready for action-packed fun in our Wee Ninja Class for kids ages 3-4! Led by our experienced coaches, this engaging group experience introduces young ninjas to the excitement of climbing, balancing, and playing interactive games. Through teamwork and exploration, your child will develop essential motor skills and confidence, setting the foundation for a lifetime of physical fitness and adventu(…)
Toddler Ninja Social – Ages 1 & 2
◦ When: Wednesday, Dec 18th
◦ Where: Maine Warrior Gym
Discover a world of adventure with your toddler in our Toddler Ninja Social class! This engaging and interactive session is designed to enhance your child’s motor skills, balance, and coordination through playful activities and exploration. Join your little one as they develop confidence, agility, and a love for movement, all while strengthening the special bond between you two.
*Class Times: Sun(…)
Thursday Basketball League – Winter
◦ When: Thursday, Dec 19th
◦ Where: South Portland Recreation Center
**Adult Basketball League Format**
8 regular season games
Playoffs 10 team seeded single elimination.
5v5, 1 female and 1 male must be on the court for each team
Roster minimum of 8 players, max of 12 including 1 female and 1 male player
Two – 20 minute halves
Men shots inside 3 point arc = 1 point, Outside arc = 2 points
Female shots inside 3 point arc = 2 points, Outside arc = 3 points
Rules ar(…)
Tips to meet people at social events
You can make more friends at one party by showing interest in them than in a month by trying to meet people online. Meeting new people and making genuine connections in local events can be fun and easy if you go with the right mindset.
When it comes to meeting new people, nothing beats showing up in the real world. But none of the tips will work if you are not coming from the right place. Keep an open mind when attending social events. Reframe strangers as potential friends, it will make it much easier to approach conversations and fully engage in them.
When choosing an event, keep an eye on interesting themes, something you can relate to. Meeting new people in the context of mutual interest increases your chances of being friends.
Research events with the types of people you want to meet. They could be people in your age group, your field of work, or a specific neighborhood. Do not be too strict though, loosen up a little bit from your expectations.
Go where people are intentionally looking to make friends such as networking events where it feels normal and expected to walk up and introduce yourself.
In this digital era, apps and websites are the most convenient solutions for finding out about local events. If you are not sure where to look for events happening in Portland, you can try out Visitportland.com, Creativeportland.com, or Pressherald.com.
RELATED: How To Meet People In Portland, Maine
Portland String Quartet’s Winter Solstice Concert
◦ When: Saturday, Dec 21st
◦ Where: Mechanics Hall
Celebrate the Solstice in a Historic Ballroom
Keys to the City Dueling Piano Showcase with Jim Ciampi & Seth Holbrook
◦ When: Friday, Dec 20th
◦ Where: Top of the East
Laugh, Dance & Sing Your Pants Off with Keys to The City!
The Outcasts
◦ When: Monday, Dec 16th
◦ Where: SPACE
Newly restored 1982 folk horror set in an isolated rural community in pre-famine Ireland when poverty and magic were rife.
The Wizard of Oz
◦ When: Saturday, Dec 21st
◦ Where: SPACE
a beautiful 16mm print projected from our friends at Kinonik!
Gingerbread Cookie Decorating
◦ When: Wednesday, Dec 18th
◦ Where: The Westin Portland Harborview
Sugar, Spice, and Everything Iced: Join Us for Gingerbread Decorating Fun!
Memoir of a Snail
◦ When: Friday, Dec 20th
◦ Where: SPACE
a claymation feature film for adults from the director of Mary and Max
Christmas Cookie Decorating Workshop @ Definitive Brewing!
◦ When: Monday, Dec 16th
◦ Where: Definitive Brewing Company, Industrial Way, Portland, ME, USA
A fun night out for you and your friends to try your hand at cookie decorating! sip a drink and learn a new skill!
December Full Moon Walk on the Eastern Trail
◦ When: Monday, Dec 16th
◦ Where: Pine Point Parking Area
Join the Eastern Trail for its full moonwalk in the Scarborough Marsh.
The Vintage Vocal Quartet Christmas
◦ When: Tuesday, Dec 17th
◦ Where: Blue Point Congregational Church UCC
Get ready to jingle all the way with The Vintage Vocal Quartet Christmas – a festive night of classic carols and holiday cheer!
Holiday Wreath Making Workshop at Good Medicine
◦ When: Monday, Dec 16th
◦ Where: Good Medicine Collective
Create your beautiful holiday wreath using fresh, fragrant balsam fir from our certified organic farm and celebrate trees in the holidays.
Camp Christmas: Ho for the Holidays
◦ When: Friday, Dec 20th
◦ Where: Blue Lobster Urban Winery
A Campy Christmas Drag & Burlesque Show!
Symphony & Spirits
◦ When: Friday, Dec 20th
◦ Where: Arcadia – Portland, Me
Join us for a happy hour cocktail party at Arcadia followed by an evening of holiday music with the Portland Symphony Orchestra!
Glitterland a Solstice Slutmas
◦ When: Saturday, Dec 21st
◦ Where: Geno’s Rock Club
A glamorous night of burlesque, drag, and xxxmas cheer to celebrate Winter Solstice.
Thanya Iyer
◦ When: Tuesday, Dec 17th
◦ Where: Hedgehouse Barn
An intimate solo concert with Montreal-based songwriter-violinist-keyboardist Thanya Iyer.
Portland Maine Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl
◦ When: Saturday, Dec 21st
◦ Where: Porttown Public House
Get ready to rock your ugliest holiday sweater and crawl the best best bars on December 21st at 4:00 PM!
Change Management – Change Matters 1 Day Training in Portland, OR
◦ When: Friday, Dec 20th
◦ Where: For venue details reach us at [email protected]
Our classroom and corporate training provides you the opportunity to interact with instructors and benefit from face-to-face instruction.
Effective Change Management 1 Day Training in Portland, OR
◦ When: Friday, Dec 20th
◦ Where: For venue details reach us at [email protected]
Our classroom and corporate training provides you the opportunity to interact with instructors and benefit from face-to-face instruction.
Christmas in the Trenches: A Play Reading
◦ When: Saturday, Dec 21st
◦ Where: 40 Main St
We join together in this performance & holiday sing-a-long to remember that peace and communion are still and always in our hearts & minds.
Watercolor Whales with Jeanelle Demers
◦ When: Friday, Dec 20th
◦ Where: Root Wild Kombucha
Join us for a relaxing way to spend some pre-holiday time, painting watercolor whales and other sea life with local artist Jeanelle Demers!
Tea Time with Elizabeth
◦ When: Saturday, Dec 21st
◦ Where: 550 Washington Ave
Create your own herbal teas to take home and enjoy relaxing kava tea while receiving education on herbal teas .