Meet New People in LA This Weekend at These events [12.26-12.28]
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Book Swap + Local Shopping
12.26 | 4 PM | Torrance
Hosted at Scholb Premium Ales, this end-of-year book exchange turns showing up solo into part of the plan. Bring a gently loved book, take a new one home, then browse The Fleuria romance book truck while sipping a drink. The swapping gives you a built-in opener, the tables do the mixing, and the vibe stays easy. Romance, romantasy, and fiction fans will feel right at home without having to work the room.
Heated RivalrySeason Finale Watch Party
12.26 | 7 PM | Silver Lake
The Heated Rivalry Season Finale watch party brings everyone together Friday night to do what this show deserves: watch it as a group. Even though the finale airs Thursday, this is the communal replay, complete with live reactions, side commentary, and $5 glasses of KIKI Wines’ de-alcoholized pours all night. Easy to attend solo, since staring at the screen together is half the bonding. Come curious or fully invested, either works.
Last Chess Social of 2025
12.26 | 8 PM | South Pasadena
The last Chess Social of 2025 hits Visionarium on Friday, December 26, and it’s free with free parking, which already feels generous. Come solo, grab a drink, and jump into a game while live music and a light show fill the space. There’s also an optional Obscure Gift Exchange at 10 PM where wrapped, unwanted gifts get a second life and spark easy conversations. Cozy, festive, and low effort, with built-in ways to connect before the next event in February.
Live Jazz LA holiday Show
12.26 | 8 PM | West Adams
LiveJazzLA curates this intimate night for people who actually listen. Settle into a room where the music does the talking, with sax from Devaughn Durham and Jaay Dover, vocals from Funmike Lagoke, and the Timeless Momentz house band holding it all together, plus a DJ set by Faiza. Delicious Vinyl and Delicious Pizza add flavor, but the real draw is how easy it is to come solo and let the sound pull you in.
SBS Saturday Group Ride
12.27 | 7 AM | Redondo Beach
South Bay Squad hosts free group rides and brick runs every Saturday, led by SBS coaches and open to all levels. It’s an easy solo drop-in since the workout is the social structure. Routes include easier and harder options, so no one gets left behind or pushed too far. You show up, move together, and conversations tend to happen naturally once the legs warm up. Come for one Saturday or make it a routine, both work.
Saturday Stairs at The Hollywood Bowl
12.27 | 8 AM | Hollywood
Saturday Stairs is a free fitness meetup that takes over the Hollywood Bowl every Saturday at 8 AM. Show up solo, bring your dog if you have one, and move at your own pace, whether that means a casual climb or a serious workout. With everyone doing the same thing in the same space, talking happens naturally between sets. Some weeks it’s inside the Bowl, others it’s on the surrounding trails, but the routine makes it easy to join without knowing anyone.
Audiobook Walking Club: Post-Holiday Edition
12.27 | 9:30 AM | Redondo Beach
The Audio Book Walking Club starts at 9:30 AM at Roundtrip Collective and is built for showing up alone. Grab a coffee, pop in your headphones, and take a 60-minute audiobook walk where conversation is optional and walking side by side does the work. Stick around after to shop local, women-owned businesses if you feel like it. Easy entry, easy exit, zero awkwardness.
Beach Tennis Open Play
12.27 | 10 AM | Santa Monica
Saturday Open Play beach tennis is set up so you can show up solo and jump right in, whether you’ve never picked up a paddle or you know what you’re doing. Games rotate, partners switch, and the beach does most of the icebreaking for you. It’s $10 to play with $5 paddle rentals available, which is a small price for a full day of movement, sun, and easy, low-stakes socializing.
Pupusas and Punchlines
12.27 | 6:30 PM | Hollywood
Pupusas and Punchlines is the kind of dinner-and-a-show that works especially well solo. Grab a seat, order something delicious, and let the comics handle the heavy lifting. Laughing does the social work for you, and chatting between sets feels natural when everyone’s already loosened up. Come hungry, leave entertained, and maybe with a few new faces in your orbit.
Day Dreaming Artist x Amor Revelado
12.27 | 5 PM | Little Tokyo
This Saturday’s all-ages art market is free to attend and easy to do solo. Wander at your own pace, stop for live performances between 5:20 and 9:30 PM, and browse everything from art and photography to jewelry, thrift finds, piercings, tattoos, and even tooth gems. Shopping gives you a natural excuse to chat, and the rotating booths mean you’re never stuck in one spot. Low pressure, high discovery energy.
Line Dancing Lessons
12.26 + 12.27 | 9 PM | Koreatown
Eastwood in Koreatown hosts free line dancing lessons This Friday and Saturday at 9 PM, which is exactly the kind of plan you can show up to solo and not feel weird about it. Instructor-led dances pull everyone onto the floor at once, so there’s no awkward hovering. Add drinks, a mechanical bull, and a lively crowd, and suddenly you’re in it. Bonus: happy hour runs 6–8 PM if arriving early feels right.
Sunrise Surf: Group Lesson
12.28 | 7 AM | Venice Beach
This beginner surf lesson is designed for showing up solo without feeling out of place. After wetsuit fitting and a quick safety chat, the group heads to the beach to practice pop-ups on the sand before getting into the water together. The focus is on learning, patience, and having fun, not nailing a perfect wave. White water only, plenty of guidance, and a built-in workout that ends with a rinse and a quiet appreciation for the ocean.
Merry Melrose + Dog Adoption Event
12.28 | 10 AM | Melrose
Melrose Trading Post gets a holiday glow-up every Sunday in December, turning a classic flea stop into an easy solo wander. Browse over 260 local artists, makers, and vintage vendors while live music and seasonal performances pop up around you. There are hands-on workshops, a Rock n Roll Santa photo booth, and plenty to pause for without committing to a plan. On December 28, you can even adopt a puppy, which honestly might steal the whole show.
Sketch at the Petersen Automotive Museum
12.28 | 10 AM | Mid City
SketchxLA is closing out 2025 with a casual sketch meetup at the Petersen Automotive Museum this Sunday. Show up solo, buy a museum ticket, bring a small sketchbook, and meet the group at the entrance at 10 AM for quick intros before heading inside to draw cars together. No RSVP, no pressure, just a built-in activity that makes talking optional and connection easy. Perfect if your sketching feels dusty or you just want a reason to get out.
Mahjong and Jazz
12.28 | 10 AM | Long Beach
Mahjong and Jazz returns as a perfect post-Christmas reset at Good Time in Long Beach. Show up solo or with a friend, learn mahjong on the spot, and settle into open play while live jazz hums in the background. The game gives you a reason to sit, stay, and talk, even if you’ve never played before. It’s the start of a new monthly ritual with an easygoing rhythm and zero pressure to already know anyone.
Cafe y Boleros
12.28 | 10 AM | Highland Park
Cafe y Boleros at Highland Cafe on December 28 is an easy yes if you’re flying solo. Grab a cafecito, let the boleros spin on vinyl, and settle into a space that invites lingering without pressure. Music gives you something to lean on, coffee gives you something to hold, and conversations tend to happen naturally in between. Plus, there’s a BDN tienda pop-up to browse while you’re there.
2026 Vision Board Workshop
12.28 | 4 PM | Downtown LA
This crafty 2026 goal-setting session on Sunday, December 28 from 4–5 PM at Nysa Botanica in DTLA turns reflection into something social and low-key. Show up solo, share as much or as little about next year as you want, and get hands-on with planning and creative prompts. Warm cocoa helps, obviously. It’s structured enough to break the ice, relaxed enough to feel personal, and a nice way to end the year without small talk.
Silent Book Club
12.28 | 4 PM | Pasadena
Silent Book Club meets December 28 at 4 PM and it’s tailor-made for showing up alone. Bring whatever you’re already reading and settle into a room full of people doing the same. No assigned books, no forced discussion, just quiet reading with optional chatting before or after. It’s free, all ages, and somehow manages to be social without demanding your social battery.
Sip & Sew Workshop
12.28 | 5 PM | Inglewood
This BYOB Sip and Sew workshop is an easy solo Sunday plan with a built-in project to focus on. Beginners and intermediate makers are guided through simple rotating projects like bucket hats, sleep masks, or pillows, plus a quick intro to the sewing machine. All equipment is provided, drinks are encouraged, and a complimentary mimosa or champagne is included for guests 21+. You leave with something handmade and a few new faces you actually talked to.
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