Free social meetups around Asheville over the next few weeks — hikes, coffee, ice cream, a riverside picnic
I organize a Meetup group called Asheville Transplants — it's for people who landed here from somewhere else and are building a social life from scratch. 618 members now. Posting the next few weeks of the calendar because it seems useful to have in one place, whether or not anyone ever joins the group.
• Fri Aug 14, 6pm — Asheville Tourists vs. Rome at HomeTrust Park, 30 Buchanan Pl. Dollar Dog Friday, fireworks after the game.
• Sat Aug 15, 9am — Chimney Rock. The 1.5-mile trail to Hickory Nut Falls at an unhurried pace, then lunch by the river in the village. $17 park entry, which is the state's, not ours.
• Sat Aug 15, 9:30am — Coffee at PennyCup North, 857 Merrimon Ave. That's the whole event. Coffee and talking.
• Sat Aug 22, 6pm — Zillicoah in Woodfin, 870 Riverside Dr, for sunset over the French Broad.
• Wed Aug 26, 6pm — The Hop on Merrimon for ice cream, then an easy walk around North Asheville. Dairy-free options.
• Sat Sep 5, 6pm — Picnic at Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Ave. Blanket, snacks, river.
• Sun Sep 27, 2pm — A photo challenge up and down Haywood Rd starting at Archetype West. Teams of four are drawn at the start, so you get paired with people you've never met on purpose.
Three things, since "come to my meetup" posts are a dime a dozen around here:
The events are free. No dues, no cover. The only money involved is the venue's — Chimney Rock's park fee and a Tourists ticket.
Every event has non-alcoholic options and a decent number of regulars don't drink at all. Nobody's counting. We've also been deliberately shifting the calendar away from breweries and toward daytime stuff — hikes, coffee, sketch nights, yoga in the park — because that's what people keep asking for.
Showing up alone is the default rather than the brave exception. Most people at any given event walked in by themselves.
Happy to answer questions in the comments if you want a sense of the vibe before committing to anything.