New to Tempe? 5 Activities That Make It Easier to Meet New Friends
Moving to a new city is all fun and game until you realize your closest friends are now hundreds of miles away (been there, we get it! :'<) and you don’t actually know who to text when you want to leave the house (or your dorm).
After moving to Tempe few years ago, we have found that Tempe is full of social activities where you can meet people while crafting, climbing, playing games or drinking coffee. The secret is choosing places that give you something to do together. Conversation feels much more natural when you’re working on a project or trying to remember the name of that one actor from that one movie. The key is keep going back to the same place if you like it! Meeting someone once might be hard for the friendship/relationship to blossom but if you can seeing the same people, a friend group might be naturally formed.
Whether you’re new to Arizona, starting at ASU or simply hoping to expand your social circle, here are five Tempe activities that make meeting new friends a little less intimidating.
1. Make Something at Craft Club Tuesday
Crafty Tomato is a DIY craft studio and gift shop near Arizona State University’s Tempe campus. Customers can choose a project from the craft menu and create at their own pace. Your skill level can range from stick figure to full on Michelangelo, you'd have a good time for sure. No artistic experience is required.
For a more social visit, try Craft Club Tuesday, a weekly creative event designed for crafting alongside other people. Each week features a different activity, giving you an easy reason to return and start recognizing familiar faces.
You can come alone, bring a roommate or invite someone you recently met. Because everyone is working on the same activity, you already have something to talk about.
Easy conversation starters (sound a lil silly ik but trust me they work) include:
- “What are you making?”
- “Which color should I use?”
- “Have you tried one of these before?”
- “Did yours also turn out completely different from the example?”
Craft Club Tuesday is especially helpful for people who want a social activity without the noise or pressure of a bar. You don’t have to be extremely outgoing, and there’s no expectation that you arrive with an established friend group.
Crafty Tomato also hosts monthly trivia, guided workshops and other creative events throughout the year.
Crafty Tomato
1250 E. Apache Blvd., Suite 106
Tempe, Arizona 85281
SEE THE NEXT CRAFT CLUB ACTIVITY
2. Attend a Community Event at Brick Road Coffee
A coffee shop becomes much easier to socialize in when there’s an actual event happening.
Brick Road Coffee is a queer-owned, sober-friendly Tempe coffee shop known for creating an inclusive community space. Its event calendar regularly includes social gatherings, creative meetups, markets, book clubs, craft groups and other community programming.
One recurring gathering, Grounds for Connection, is specifically designed to help people meet and talk in a welcoming environment. Brick Road has also hosted crochet and fiber-arts gatherings, open-table Dungeons & Dragons, readings and identity-based community groups.
Pick an event connected to something you already enjoy. You’ll immediately have a shared interest with the people around you—and something more interesting to discuss than where you work.
Check the current Brick Road Coffee event calendar before visiting because programming changes throughout the month.
Brick Road Coffee
4415 S. Rural Road, Suite 10
Tempe, Arizona 85282
3. Try a Social Climb at Arizona Bouldering Project
If sitting around and making conversation sounds terrifying, try an activity that keeps everyone moving.
Arizona Bouldering Project combines indoor bouldering with fitness classes, yoga and community events. Its Tempe location welcomes beginners, so you don’t need climbing experience to get started.
Climbing gyms tend to be naturally social. People rest between attempts, discuss routes and encourage each other when someone is working through a difficult section. Asking another climber how they approached a route is an easy, normal way to start a conversation.
Arizona Bouldering Project also hosts community programming such as social climbs, affinity-group climbing nights, member meetups and community movie nights. Look for a beginner class or social event if your main goal is meeting people rather than quietly climbing by yourself.
Check the current Tempe events and community programming before you go.
Arizona Bouldering Project
2626 S. Hardy Drive
Tempe, Arizona 85282
4. Play Board Games at Tempe Public Library
Meeting new people doesn’t have to cost much.
The Tempe Public Library offers adult programs throughout the year, including its recurring Board Game Café. The library provides a selection of board and card games for new and experienced players, making it a low-pressure way to spend an evening with other Tempe residents.
Board games solve one of the hardest parts of making new friends: figuring out what to do together. You have a shared goal, built-in conversation and enough structure to prevent the gathering from feeling like a networking event.
The program is especially approachable if you’re coming alone. Ask whether a table needs another player, learn a new game or bring an old favorite to teach someone else.
Board Game Café dates may change, so visit the Tempe Public Library event calendar for the latest schedule. The library also offers workshops, book discussions and other adult activities that may match your interests.
Tempe Public Library
3500 S. Rural Road
Tempe, Arizona 85282
5. Join a Game or Trivia Night at Snakes & Lattes
Located in Downtown Tempe, Snakes & Lattes is a board-game restaurant and bar with a library of more than 1,000 games.
Themed trivia nights and special events give you a reason to gather around a shared obsession, whether that happens to be a television series, movie franchise, music artist or extremely specific piece of pop-culture knowledge.
If you already have one or two new acquaintances, invite them to form a trivia team. It’s much less intimidating than asking someone to simply “hang out,” because you’re suggesting a specific activity at a specific place.
For regular board-game visits, staff can help you choose something suited to your group and experience level. Look for cooperative or conversation-friendly games if everyone is still getting to know each other.
See the current Snakes & Lattes Tempe event calendar before making plans.
Snakes & Lattes Tempe
20 W. Sixth Street
Tempe, Arizona 85281
How to Actually Make Friends at a Tempe Activity
Going to one event is a good start, but friendship usually comes from seeing the same people repeatedly.
Choose one or two activities you genuinely enjoy and attend consistently. If you recognize someone from a previous event, say hello. That tiny moment of recognition is often how a stranger becomes a familiar face—and eventually a friend.
A few other things that help:
- Arrive a little early, before groups have fully formed.
- Choose recurring events instead of only large festivals.
- Keep your phone away when you’re open to conversation.
- Ask people about the activity you’re already doing.
- Introduce yourself to event hosts and regular attendees.
- Invite someone to the next specific event instead of vaguely suggesting you hang out.
- Give it more than one visit before deciding it isn’t working.
You don’t have to leave your first event with a brand-new best friend. Start by finding places where you feel comfortable returning.
Find Your People in Tempe
Making friends in a new city takes time, but Tempe gives you plenty of places to begin.
Create something at Crafty Tomato, attend a meetup at Brick Road Coffee, try indoor climbing, join a library game night or put your niche knowledge to work at trivia. The best activity is the one you’ll actually enjoy enough to attend again.
If creativity is your thing, start with us at Crafty Tomato. Come for a craft, pull up a chair and meet some fellow crafty tomatoes.