Community Groups Near Me

Celebrating 50 Years of Faith, Love, Unity, Growth, Community Together

Join us for a Special Day on July 18, from 9 am to 5 pm as Unity of Columbus celebrates 50 years of “living” in our current church site at 4211 Maize Road. For our 50th Anniversary, we are planning an array of uplifting activities, including a luncheon, foundational Unity teachings, opportunities to connect over memories while creating new ones, and we will open our beautiful facility to our local Maize-Morse neighbors! There will also be some special surprises in store... You won't want to miss this day of commemoration and celebration!

Kindness Conference 2026

**Kindness Conference 2026** Registration required. Visit [www.kindhelp.org](http://www.kindhelp.org) to register! Imagine a future intentionally shaped by kindness: let's build it together with on **Saturday, July 18th at the Junto Hotel in downtown Columbus!** The function of our conference is to help people develop the skills to build kind community and provide opportunities to increase in-person connection and support in each other’s lives. **This conference is for any of us who are:** · Feeling isolated and lacking community in our current society · Wanting to make a difference in our own lives and the lives of each other · Anyone who is just wishing to create something better! **We will build more kind community by:** · Developing formats for building community-based infrastructure where existing systems are failing that anybody can use · Providing the tools that help people connect in-person and practicing using those tools together · Implementing Universal Design so that no one gets left behind **Opportunities and practical tools we are offering:** · Lunch! · Community-Building Toolkits for people to take home · A chance to build lasting friendships and supportive connections · Opportunities to share referrals, strategies, resources, and the kind of connected support networks many people receive through family, but that those without community and family are often lacking · Ongoing community dinners, free workshops, and other events where people can connect **Participants also have the opportunity to receive CE credits from the Ohio CSWMFT Board.** We are just getting started! This is one of many upcoming events where we can continue making kind community together. **Who else should be here?** Share this opportunity with anyone else who you think might want to build kind community! For more information and to register visit [www.kindhelp.org](http://www.kindhelp.org/). If you would like to help us plan the day, we would love to connect email us at [info@kindhelp.org](mailto:info@kindhelp.org)!

Free admission to Dawes Arboretum all day- Dawes Homecoming Community Picnic

**Arboretum admission is FREE all day (9a-7p) for this special event!** When: Sunday, July 12, 2026 at 4:00p-7p Where: The Dawes Arboretum Did you know that The Dawes Arboretum's co-founder, Beman Dawes, used to be the chairman of The Pure Oil Company and hosted picnics each year at The Arboretum for his employees and their families? To celebrate America's 250th anniversary and the Year of History at Dawes, join us on Sunday, July 12, from 4 – 7 p.m. for the Dawes Homecoming Community Picnic! Bring your own picnic and blanket. We'll celebrate the summer afternoon by providing free drinks and Velvet Ice Cream (while supplies last). Enjoy live music and games on the lawn. Located approximately 30 miles east of Columbus, The Dawes Arboretum is a nearly 2,000-acre tree museum dedicated to enriching lives through the conservation of trees and nature. We invite you to take part in our fun and informative programs or visit our grounds to experience the extraordinary collection of trees, beautiful gardens and distinctive natural areas.

Sunday Brunch

Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!

Columbus Comedy Improv Meetup at Gresso's!

Whether you've never done improv before, or you've done it for so long you were quoted in *Truth in Comedy*, or anywhere in between, come join us! Swing by *Gresso's* for the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup**! The idea behind improvised comedy is to create entire scenes from scratch. A suggestion is taken from the audience and laughter is built on the spot. This can be done in game form, like *Whose Line Is It Anyway, Make Some Noise,* or *Wild 'n Out*; it can also be done in a longer way, to tell a complicated story, like *TJ & Dave*. Our meetup, which is central Ohio's longest running (and FREE!) weekly comedy event, brings the games for you to play in a safe, supportive, and compassionate environment. Afterward, many members will hang out in *Gresso's* itself and get to know each other. Not only is this a lot of fun, but you get to work on thinking faster on your feet, your public speaking, plus it's an excellent way to meet new people and build relationships that will last a lifetime, and you do that while laughing your butt off! Ask yourself if you want to join the **Columbus Improv Comedy Meetup**, and say "*Yes, And*" that you'll have a blast!

Columbus Code & Coffee 88 @ Improving

Columbus Code & Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. People of all skill levels attend, and we love it that way. Many people (optionally) bring projects to work on, and many other people (optionally) socialize the entire time. It's entirely up to you! **What to Expect at the Intro Circle** \~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Near the beginning of the event (1:30 pm), we do a standup: * Organizer announcements, updates, and logistics Round 1 - (7 secs max): * Your name * What you're working on * What you can help others with Round 2: * Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. Round 3: * Job opportunities you're hiring for OR announce that you are looking for one. If none, that's cool. After the introduction circle, everything is self-organized! Feel free to work alone, pair up, attend one of our workshops/presentations, or mingle!

Columbus Effortless Dating from Your Living Room

🌹 Columbus singles, live on Zoom A laid-back community night of speed dating with locals your age. Quick rounds, real chat, all from the couch. Pick your age group to join: Ages 18-32: [sign up](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=585&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Columbus&groupurlname=thriving-french-language-learners-community&ar=18-32&face_v=11.0) Ages 30-46: [sign up](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=585&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Columbus&groupurlname=thriving-french-language-learners-community&ar=30-46&face_v=11.0) Ages 40-58: [sign up](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=585&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Columbus&groupurlname=thriving-french-language-learners-community&ar=40-58&face_v=11.0) Ages 55+: [sign up](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=585&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Columbus&groupurlname=thriving-french-language-learners-community&ar=55+&face_v=11.0) RSVPing tells us you're keen, but your seat is only saved once you finish sign-up at your age link. Just bring an open mind. See you there. 💜

Epic Sunday, Part 2: Dinner at CAP CITY FINE DINER After HADESTOWN!

A great musical deserves a great dinner! Join us for dinner at the Gahanna CAP CITY FINE DINER immediately following HADESTOWN! The film takes us from Broadway to the Big Screen! Dinner will take us to a CMG favorite location for another great dinner and a fun time together! Here’s the plan: HADESTOWN: From Broadway to the Big Screen, this presentation of Hadestown is a not theatrical adaptation of a beloved musical but a chance to see the actual musical featuring many of the original cast members from the hit Broadway production, recorded at the Lyric Theatre in London! Set to New Orleans-style jazz, the musical follows Orpheus and Eurydice. Desperate to get his love back, he travels down into Hadestown! Please purchase your ticket for the 1:00pm showing and meet in the lobby area between 12:35 and 12:45pm. See separate event announcement for complete details or to RSVP for the Movie Portion of this event. CAP CITY FINE DINER: Cap City Fine Diner is part of the Cameron Mitchen family of restaurants and their menu offers “a new spin on old school – classic comfort food made modern.” From starters like their Blue Cheese Potato Chips and Tamarind Glazed Chicken Wings to Soups, Salads, Sandwiches, and Classics like Cap City Diner Meatloaf, Glazed Salmon, the much welcome return of their Vegan Veggie Plate, Cap City has something for every taste. And don’t get me started on their desserts which match the epic theme! You can check out their menu here: https://capcityfinediner.com/locations-menus/gahanna/menus/dinner/ DINNER PLAN: Join us immediately following the movie for dinner at nearby Cap City Fine Diner! Always a great meal and a fun time! Seating is limited for the dinner portion of the event, so please be sure your RSVP is firm and updated as soon as possible if your plans change. REMINDER: if you’d like to join in for dinner, please be sure to RSVP in BOTH the Movie and Dinner Portions of the event. Look forward to seeing you there, Dan

Westerville Queer Coffee Meetup

WQC has weekly Thursday night social nights at the Westerville Java Central. Come and grab a coffee and connect with the community: low stakes, chill environment, and tasty drinks. No registration is required; come as you are.

Neurospicy Columbus - Join us for Cup O Joe

Join Neurospicy Columbus at the Clintonville Cup O Joe for coffee! This will be a friendly chat for like minded individuals with Autism and/or ADHD (or somewhere on the Neurodiverse Spectra).

Let's Discover the Discovery District

Contra dance and potluck July 25 (First Unitarian Universalist Church)

# **Saturday, July 25, 2026** **Beginners’ Session 1:30 to 2:00 PM** **Dancing 2:00 to 4:30 PM** **Band: The Corndrinkers** **Caller: Susan English** **Join us for a potluck at 12:30 before the dance; setup will be at 12:00. Utensils and plates will be supplied.** **Location: First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Road, Columbus, OH 43214.** **Cost is $10 for adults, $5 ages 12-25.** **New to dancing? A beginners’ session, from 1:30 to 2:00 PM, will get you started. You will learn some basic figures that will be repeated in the afternoon’s dances. All dances will be taught and no partner is needed. Dancing is from 2:00 to 4:30 PM.** **Please bring your own refillable water bottle.** **All Soles Dance upcoming dance dates are, as follows:** **No August Dance** **September 26, 2026** **October 17, 2026** **November 21, 2026** **December 19, 2026** **Visit our website at: https://firstuucolumbus.org/connection/all-soles/**