Upon graduating from college in 2015, my daughter moved to the sticks of Vermont. She was a young, single woman working in a veterinary office with long hours and living in a town with a year-round population of less than 1,000 people. It was very hard to meet people.
I suggested she try Meetup groups. After all, it was former Vermont Governor Howard Dean’s use of Meetup groups during his 2004 campaign for president that catapulted both his popularity and that of the then-new Meetup platform.
The number of groups in the South Central part of Vermont is not very high, and Anna was not that eager to put herself out there. So, one weekend when I was visiting, I signed the two of us up for a hiking group. We joined a group of 10 or so walking on the former ski trails of Mt. Ascutney and met some nice people – all of whom were my age or older. I tried to persuade Anna that even though no one was her age, she should try it again, but she wasn’t convinced.
A few years later, she moved to Philadelphia, where Meetup groups proliferate to cover almost any interest. In addition to trying friend and dating apps, which she quickly tired of, she joined Meetups for social events, drinking, hiking, biking, ski/snowboarding, and even a book group. She made some short-term acquaintances and some long-term friends. She took trips to Vermont and Montana with the ski group, learned to paddleboard and camped with another, and found interesting bars in downtown Philadelphia.
Her biggest find was the man who recently became her husband. Two Meetup groups converged at Atsion Lake in Shamong, NJ, one weekend in June 2023 – she had been paddleboarding, he had been camping – and he needed a ride home that she provided. The rest is history.
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Anna experiencing a hiking Meetup group
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It’s always easy to find people, groups, and events in and around cities, but what about in more rural areas? I recently wrote an article on grieving and discovered that this area offers many grief and bereavement groups – in stark contrast to the area where my mom lives 70 miles north, where only one group 25 miles away was offered in the evenings, so my 80-year-old mom who couldn’t drive at night never had access to support after we lost my dad three and a half years ago.
In contrast, the Harrisburg-Carlisle-York-Lancaster areas offer many groups of many kinds that can be found through local libraries, community centers, parks and recreation, churches, bookstores, outdoors stores, hospices, word of mouth, Google searches and more.
Beyond that, while not quite the selection of Philadelphia, the area within a 50-mile radius of Hershey offers 130 different Meetup groups for everything from eating and drinking wine to crafting to faith and spirituality to motorcycling to book groups to a myriad of outdoor activities. There’s truly something for everyone.
Community connection
Meetup started in 2002 after founder Scott Heiferman sought a way to authentically connect people like he had connected to people in his Manhattan community after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. He attended vigils and volunteered with the Red Cross at Ground Zero.
Today, Meetup is synonymous with making new friends. It’s a way for newcomers to connect in their new communities, for natives to find like-minded people, and for anyone to enjoy hobbies or interests with others. For people like my daughter who hated the sterile and unpredictable nature of dating apps and longed to meet someone in the “real world,” meetup groups have been life changing. Today, Meetup has more than 60 million members in more than 330,000 groups active in more than 190 countries and 10,000 cities around the world.
Meetup found that most people look for a group for friendship. Of course, people use Meetup to connect with others who share their hobbies, with popular searches for hiking, photography, book club, soccer, tennis, yoga and badminton. Singles and queer & LGBTQ are also top searches.
Free-ish?
While members of groups do not need to pay a subscription price, organizers of groups do, and will often pass this cost along to members via event charges, dues or other means. Meetup also now requires a Member+ membership of $2.99/month to allow members to view other members, direct message with other members and move up on event waitlists.
Organizer subscriptions can be Standard for $29.99/month or $99.99/6 months or $179.99/12 months; or PRO with memberships that cost $55/group/month or $47/group/month for six months. Some differences between subscriptions are that PRO members can have unlimited groups while Standard are limited to three groups. PRO also offers more advanced member communications including exporting mailing lists, MailChimp integration, and paid promotions.
Meetup says these costs are necessary to support improvements to underlying technology including servers and coding while also helping to improve communication with members, increase membership, and using AI to enhance experiences.
Area Meetup groups
OK, I did the legwork here, so you don’t have to. The Susquehanna Style region includes something for everyone. I searched everything. You, however, can narrow your search based on your specific interests. If you only want a hiking group, select hiking. If you’re seeking other techie nerds, you can find that. Limit your search terms to narrow your search, or if you’re just curious, scroll through them all to see what catches your eye.
Below is an eclectic sampling of the many different groups offered in this region. All that are listed are active, meaning they either have held or have scheduled events in 2025. To search them yourself, go to https://www.meetup.com/find/?source=GROUPS&distance=fiftyMiles&location=us--pa--Hershey
Hershey Civil Political Discussions brings people together to discuss ideas and policies across the political spectrum.
Hershey Board Games Meetup Group offers all kind of games from classics like Monopoly to modern games like Catan and meets the third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. at Fishburn United Methodist Church.
Childfree Couples Central PA, based in Annville, has many events on calendar including a winter hike at Boyd Big Tree on Feb. 2 and Snow Tubing at Roundtop on Feb. 7.
Annville & Surrounding Area Crafters Meetup Group held a January meeting called Stitch and Bitch. Maybe that’s all you need to know.
New Tech Meetup of Central PA invites geeks, designers, marketers, investors, and entrepreneurs to a monthly meetup held at King’s Mill Depot, York; Monday, Feb. 17, 6:30 p.m.
Central PA Sushi Meetup meets in the Harrisburg, Lancaster, York area to find good sushi
Study Scriptures with The Stefs’ seems to meet virtually and has an active slate for those seeking bible study
CROSSFIRE Interchurch Singles Ministry based in Harrisburg with more than 1,000 members offers Christian fellowship and social events for single adults
Susquehanna Ski & Snowboard Club has more than 1,200 members and an active calendar including a Blue Mountain Day Trip on Feb. 6 and a trip to Stratton Mountain on March 9. Do other outdoor activities in other seasons.
Well Today Drum Circle, based in Lebanon has a Well Today Drum Circle with Heart scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 7 at All is Well LLC in Lebanon. Fees.
Lancaster (PA) French Meetup Group meets the first, third, and fifth Thursdays of the month to speak French at the Wegmans in Lancaster.
La Cultura, based in Harrisburg, has an active calendar of events for young professionals of color.
Day Hikers of Central PA with more than 3,000 members offer organized day or half-day hikes of 4- to 20-miles. Also meet for other activities including biking and movies.
Wine Lovers (and more!) of Central PA have an active calendar including an event on Feb. 16, a Sourdough Basics Class at a cost of $35. The group organizes events featuring wine and includes members from the greater Harrisburg area including Harrisburg, Hershey, Camp Hill, York, Mechanicsburg, Carlisle and the surrounding area.
Central PA Game Club has members within an hour of Harrisburg and welcomes all who play board games, pen and paper RPGs, hex and counter wargames, or miniature games. The group hosted four events in January.
SAMBA Mountain Bike Events is the Susquehanna Area Mountain Bike Association “working to protect and encourage mountain bike trail access in Central Pennsylvania. In January, the group organized several night rides on the Hershey Medical Center Trails.
South-Central PA 55+ Ladies Meetup offers events based around healthy living, lasting friendships, and socializing. Events have included pickleball, yoga, wine tasting, Mahjongg, and healthy cooking classes. Based in Mount Joy with events throughout the area.
Central PA ADHD Support Group – Children & Adults with ADHD, based in Harrisburg with more than 1,200 members, offers support with regularly scheduled Zoom group meetings. Must join to get the link.
Harrisburg, PA Area Toastmasters Clubs offers in-person and virtual events for those interested in improving communication skills
Ladies of Harrisburg Social Club offers an active calendar including Exxxcitement Shopping on Feb. 8, Single Friends Valentines Day Dinner at Devon on Feb. 14, and a spring or summer girls’ trip to Nashville planning event on Feb. 21.
Shut Up & Write! Harrisburg/Middletown offers a structured virtual writing community that meets regularly with links available to members who register.
Dutch Country Riders BMW Motorcycle Club based in Harrisburg offers scheduled rides, motorcycle maintenance, and more.
Harrisburg Book Club has been meeting monthly at Rookies Craft Burger Bar. The February book is Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, and in March, they will discuss The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy.
Harrisburg Area Local & Outdoor Activities has 1,300+ members and along with hiking meets for dining and volunteer events.
717 Investors Group based in Harrisburg offers contacts with real estate agents and mortgage brokers. They have a meetup on Feb. 12 at Boomerang Bar & Grill and a breakfast meetup on Feb. 26 at Brownstone Café.
Central PA Investors at 3,300+ members meets monthly at the Hilton in Harrisburg to discuss real estate investment. They meet Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
Lancaster Area Theater and Arts, based in Mt. Joy, offers regular cultural events classical music, theater, opera, and ballet. This month, they have Til Death Do We Part, an interactive murder mystery on Feb. 8 at Bethlehem Life Church in Dallastown.
PlayYourCourt Harrisburg Tennis offers members a way to connect for games and lessons.
Boss – Business Owners Sharing Solutions meets regularly at the Denny’s in Mechanicsburg for networking.
Harrisburg Area Mental Health Support Group meets every Monday and Friday between 6:30-8:30 p.m. to offer a supportive community. Must be a member to get details.
Green Drinks Camp Hill meets at 5:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at Evergrain Brewing in Camp Hill to discuss the environment and sustainable energy.
Dragonfly Sangha, a weekly Buddhist Mindfulness & Meditation group meets every Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the undercroft of Mount Calvary Episcopal Church for weekly Buddhist meditation service and a talk based on the teachings of Buddha. Open to all faiths.
Central PA Entrepreneurs meet at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at Parma Pizza & Grill in Manchester to discuss strategies and to network with fellow entrepreneurs.
PA Parks and Forests Events is a group hosted by the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundations to support the 124 state parks and includes volunteering events, conservation efforts, educational trainings, and fundraisers. On Feb. 26 at noon, the group will meet virtually to discuss Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.
Central PA Bitcoiners meet at 1 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of the month at Denim Coffee in Mechanicsburg. The next meeting of the group who “focuses on staying humble and stacking sets” is Feb. 23.
Pennsylvania Adventures and Events based in Schaefferstown organizes events like rappelling, camping, bouldering, ghost walks, and more.
The Getting to Know Central P A Group boasts 6,157 members and offers a chance to get out with others whether new to the area or natives.
MOMS Club of York, PA offers plenty of activities for both members and non-members including story times, lunches out, flower arranging, and volunteer activities.
Keystone Italian Project meets monthly to speak in Italian and share their love of Italy.
Lancaster Scrapbooking, Cards & Papercrafts meets regularly at Cozy Crop House of Lititz to share their passions, layouts, ideas, and tips. They next meet at 6 p.m. on Feb. 18 and again on Feb 19.
Professional Referral Exchange, York, meets from 11:30-12:45 every Tuesday at Wyndham Garden York Hotel to connect with like-minded business professionals.
York Bicycling offers open rides that members can just show up for and ride.
Lancaster Social Club invites those looking to make new friends, explore new places, and have a good time to join their variety of activities planned each month.
Lancaster Psychedelic Community meets regularly to providing resources for therapeutic psychedelic healing and create open forum discussions through community building events.
CarlisleMINI is for all those who love Mini Coopers.
Vocal Harmonix Chorus, a women’s a cappella chorus, meets every Monday from 7-9:30 at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of East Petersburg.
For more blogs by Deborah Lynch, visit https://www.debelynch.com