Charity Events

**Every Second Wednesday · 16:00–18:00 · Free Entry · Villa Vida Café** No sign-up needed-just show up! **Lavender Lounge** is Villa Vida’s cozy, community-centered **queer arts-and-crafts hangout** — a free creative space for anyone who wants to make art, relax, and connect with other queer people in Vienna. Every second Wednesday, you can bring your own supplies, settle into a calm corner, and work on whatever brings you joy: painting, knitting, sketching, journaling, crochet, collage, or any DIY craft you love. No experience needed, no pressure, no expectations. This is a soft, introvert-friendly space where newcomers and regulars mix easily. If you’re looking for a low-stress queer social event, this is it. ### **What to expect** * A quiet, cozy environment * Free entry, all identities welcome * Bring-your-own-supplies arts & crafts * Mix of regulars and newcomers * Zero-pressure, introvert-friendly socializing * A chance to share your work or simply unwind * Creative freedom in a safe, queer space ### **Who’s welcome** Lavender Lounge is open to: * Queer people of all identities * Questioning folks * Trans and nonbinary creatives * Allies who respect queer spaces * Beginners, hobbyists, and experienced artists * Anyone 18+ wanting a gentle queer community hang ### **Languages** This is a multilingual group. English is common, but participants also speak German, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian, French, and more. No specific language skills required — people naturally accommodate. ### **Come as you are** Bring your craft. Find your corner. Soak in the calm. Leave with inspiration — and maybe a new friend.

**🕊️📚 BUCHPRÄSENTATION & PODIUMSDISKUSSION** **🌍 Wege zum Frieden. Perspektiven kritischer Friedensforschung** Wie kann Frieden unter den Bedingungen globaler Krisen, neuer Aufrüstung und wachsender gesellschaftlicher Polarisierung gedacht und gestaltet werden? Wir laden herzlich zur Präsentation des neuen Buches „Wege zum Frieden. Perspektiven kritischer Friedensforschung“ mit anschließender Podiumsdiskussion ein. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 📅 DATUM & ORT **🗓️ Mittwoch, 10. Juni 2026** 🕡 18:30 Uhr **📍 Bella Volen Galerie** Landesgerichtsstraße 6, 1010 Wien **✨ Eintritt frei** ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **🎙️ MITWIRKENDE** • Prof. Heinz Gärtner • Sophia Stanger • Rosa Logar • Prof. Wolfgang Hofkirchner • Univ.-Ass. Josef Mühlbauer (Herausgeber & Moderation) ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **📖 ZUM BUCH** Im Mittelpunkt des Abends steht das neue Buch „Wege zum Frieden. Perspektiven kritischer Friedensforschung“, das unterschiedliche wissenschaftliche und gesellschaftspolitische Zugänge zu Frieden, Sicherheit, Gewaltprävention und sozial-ökologischer Transformation zusammenführt. Die Publikation beleuchtet aktuelle Herausforderungen ebenso wie konkrete Ansätze für eine friedensorientierte Politik und Gesellschaft. Im Rahmen einer Buchpräsentation und anschließenden Podiumsdiskussion diskutieren renommierte Expert aus Wissenschaft und Praxis über die Bedeutung kritischer Friedensforschung in einer Zeit multipler Krisen. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **💬 FÜR WEN?** Die Veranstaltung richtet sich an alle Interessierten aus Wissenschaft, Politik und Zivilgesellschaft, die sich mit Fragen von Frieden, Sicherheit, Demokratie und sozialer Gerechtigkeit auseinandersetzen. Im Anschluss an die Diskussion besteht Gelegenheit zum persönlichen Austausch mit den Podiumsgästen. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ [Eventbrite Link](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wege-zum-frieden-friedensforschung-buchprasentation-tickets-1990382187703) ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ **🚇 ANFAHRT** Die Galerie ist ein ebenerdiges Geschäftslokal direkt an der Straße zwischen dem Rathaus und dem Café Bendl. 🚇 U2 Rathaus – Ausgang Rathaus (direkt neben der Galerie) 🚇 U3 Volkstheater 🚋 Linien 1, 71, D – Station Parlament 🚋 Linie 2 – Station Rathaus 🚋 Linien 43, 44 – Station Landesgerichtsstraße 🚋 Linie 46 – Station Auerspergstraße 🚌 Bus 13A – Station Theater in der Josefstadt **🏛️ ORGANISATION** Diese Veranstaltung wird von Salon Artemira organisiert, einem österreichischen Verein und interdisziplinären Forum für Friedensforschung, Kunst, Kultur und Wissenschaft. Gegründet wurde Salon Artemira vom Politikwissenschaftler, Autor und Friedensforscher Josef Mühlbauer (BA BA MA) sowie der akademischen Malerin, interdisziplinären Künstlerin und Galeristin Mag.art. Bella Volen. Durch Vorträge, Diskussionen, Ausstellungen und wissenschaftsorientierte Veranstaltungen schafft Salon Artemira eine Plattform für den Dialog zwischen Wissenschaft, Kultur und Gesellschaft. Wir freuen uns darauf, Sie zu einem Abend des Austauschs, der kritischen Reflexion und der internationalen Begegnung begrüßen zu dürfen.

Join me for sunset portraits! :) We will gather at the park entrance at Sahulkastraße, then go find a place in the grass :) Come by yourself or bring a friend that would like to have their photos taken. Recommended are also drinks/snacks and blankets to chill. This time there is no limit on number of people. everyone is welcome regardless of age/skill/gear.

Sing your heart out for all the world to hear! Free & Fun Every Wednesday 19-22 Singen Sie sich die Seele aus dem Leib, damit die ganze Welt es hören kann! Kostenlos & Lustig Jeden Mittwoch 19-22 Uhr

**Join us** for free writing sessions with tea and treats and find the accountability, focus, and structure you need to achieve your goals. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done! **SCHEDULE:** 18:00 - Quick Session intros. 18:15- Timer starts 20:00 - end/chat/ take off/. Vienna Mosaik closes at 20:15 OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING before and after the session. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and join us! **What Should I Bring?** -Whatever you need to be able to write! -Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block out music or sounds. **Other Important Details:** TRAVEL / PARKING: 65A to Laxenburger Straße/Troststraße; O tram or 11 stop Arthaberplatz; Reumannplatz U-Bahn; Parking is Kurzparkzone. **INTERNET:** Yes **FOOD/DRINKS:** Light snacks, tea and coffee available. Donations optional **Open seating:** writing room is separate next to the entrance room. **Other info:** Click on the meetup you want to attend and then click on the red button "Teilnehmen" or "Attend". Otherwise, you can attend the writing session anyway. :) *Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you at Vienna Mosaik!* Find Us on Google Maps: [Vienna Mosaik](https://maps.app.goo.gl/1FsrkiXaw6D7y6pK7?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy)

Humor, Drama, Leidenschaft – das ist Maestro, der weltweit populärste Improtheater-Wettstreit. Eine bunte Truppe aus allen Ecken der Wiener Impro-Szene stellt sich den Herausforderungen der Regie, spielt in unterschiedlicher Zusammensetzung Szenen und kämpft um die Gunst des Publikums. Und auch Du kannst Teil der Show werden: Unsere RegisseurInnen leiten eine kostenlose Warm-up-Session, wo man sich kennenlernen und warm spielen kann. Am Ende fragen wir nach Freiwilligen und dann entscheidet das Losglück oder die Regie, wer die verbleibenden Plätze bekommt und mit den bereits fix gesetzten SpielerInnen auf der Bühne stehen darf. Dabei ist uns jedes Erfahrungslevel willkommen! Du musst dich dafür nur zu diesem Event anmelden! Du solltest dir aber auch ein Ticket für die Show kaufen, denn die möchtest du sicher nicht verpassen: Ticket kaufen (https://maestro.viennaimprov.org) ! (Falls Du Teilnehmer wirst, erstatten wir dir natürlich den Eintrittspreis) Wenn du mehr über den Maestro wissen möchtest, klicke hier (https://viennaimprov.org/maestro-de/)!

**Vienna Photo Walk – Gastronomy Edition** Join us for a creative photo walk through Vienna, where we explore different cafés, bars, restaurants, and hidden spots through the lens. We’ll capture **food, drinks, interiors, people, details, and atmosphere** — everything that makes a place feel special. Along the way, we’ll enjoy the food, rate the drinks, share impressions, and create content together. Perfect for photographers, creators, food lovers, and anyone who enjoys discovering Vienna in a creative way. **Location:** provided later **Theme:** Food, drinks, atmosphere & storytelling **Bring:** your camera, phone, curiosity, and good energy Eat. Drink. Shoot. Experience Vienna.

Join us for a magical evening of live music in the heart of Vienna! ​Our ensemble is thrilled to present an unforgettable concert featuring a curated selection of musical masterpieces. We will take you on a journey through time, starting with the timeless elegance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and other renowned classical composers, followed by iconic and moving cinematic film scores. ​Whether you are a devoted fan of classical music, a lover of great movie soundtracks, or simply looking for an inspiring weekend experience in Vienna, this event is perfect for you. Come and enjoy an evening of artistic excellence in a warm, intimate setting. ​📍 Where: Bellini Hall (Am Heumarkt, 1030 Vienna) 📅 When: June 14th | Start: 7:00 PM 🎟️ Entry: Free Admission (Eintritt frei!) 💲Donations are welcome ( Spenden erbeten )

Join us for amazing evening of live music in the heart of Vienna! Event is for free. Our ensemble is thrilled to present an unforgettable concert featuring a curated selection of musical masterpieces. We will take you on a journey through time, starting with the timeless elegance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and other renowned classical composers, followed by iconic and moving cinematic film scores. Whether you are a devoted fan of classical music, a lover of great movie soundtracks, or simply looking for an inspiring weekend experience in Vienna, this event is perfect for you. Come and enjoy an evening of artistic excellence in a warm, intimate setting. 📍 Where: Bellini Hall (Am Heumarkt, 1030 Vienna) 📅 When: June 14th | Start: 7:00 PM 🎟️ Entry: Free Admission (Eintritt frei!) 💲Donations are welcome ( Spenden erbeten

📍 Stadtpark U4 Station 📅 13 May 2026 🕒 15:00 Join us for a relaxed afternoon in Stadtpark. We'll take a casual walk through one of Vienna's most beautiful parks, meet new people, have good conversations, and enjoy a picnic together in the sun. Bring a blanket, your favorite snacks or drinks, and come as you are. Whether you're new to Vienna, looking to expand your circle, or simply want to spend a nice afternoon with good company, you're welcome to join us. See you there

Come write with us at Cafe Pierre every Sunday at 18:00-20:00! A message from Shut Up & Write: "Shut Up & Write hosts free, in-person and online writing events for writers all over the world. Our goal is to ensure that every writer—regardless of genre or skill level—has access to the resources, community, and accountability that they need to be successful in their personal writing goals." And what this looks like at our event: We chat and give short introductions to what we are working on at 18:00, then start writing at 18:15. Though we try to start on dot, being late isn't a problem—just find a spot and get to work! We write until 20:00 and then discuss how our writing went. From fiction to non-fiction, academic papers to poetry, applications to work-related writing—anything goes! Nothing is needed except for you to bring whatever is need to get stuff done, i.e. laptop, headphones, pen and paper, and so on. Optional socialising may happen before 18:00 and after 20:00, or you may choose to use this time to get some more done! Please do order something from the café (drink, meal, dessert, etc.) so as to keep us in their good graces!

**❗️Meetup is used only to help people discover our community. Please do not rely on it for event availability, dates, or updates. All current information is published in our WhatsApp group❗️** 🌈 **Vienna Pride Meetup** 👯 📅 Date: 13 June 🕒 Time: 11:30 📍 Location: Schottentor (I’ll share the exact location in the WA group) One of the most colorful and joyful events of the year is back in Vienna! 🎉 Note: Don’t worry if the event shows as “full” on Meetup – just come and join us anyway! Let’s meet up, enjoy the atmosphere, watch the parade, and maybe even join it for a while. Whether you’re coming to celebrate, support your friends, or simply experience one of Vienna’s biggest events, everyone is welcome. 🌈 **Dress code:** colorful clothes, rainbow accessories, glitter, or anything that makes you feel festive and fun! As always, you can come alone or bring friends — many people join our events solo and leave having met new people 💛 Looking forward to seeing you there! ✨ **Make sure to join our WhatsApp group for updates and the exact location — so you won’t miss any details!** https://chat.whatsapp.com/GqWhKBUCR5RAhI6WUguIcR?mode=ac_t

Join us for some focused writing time. All writers and all experience levels are welcome and don’t worry, no one will see what you've written. Whether it‘s your blog, a report, your thesis, your next book, copy for your website, or just your daily journaling, it doesn’t matter. This session is about getting your writing done and meeting other writers in your area. When you show up, say hello to everyone, grab a drink, and get your writing tools ready. Once you’re all settled, take some time to chat with your fellow writers. Once everyone’s arrived, I will lead quick introductions and then set the timer for our quiet and focused writing session. Afterward, we’ll have time to chat and get to know each other. We often talk about our successes and challenges as writers. If you don’t have time to stick around, no worries! Schedule (tentative): 9:00 - 9:15: Arrive, set up, order some coffee, short introductions. 9:15 - 10:45: Timer starts. Time to write. 10:45 - 11:00: End. Short exchange, settle your bill, takeoff. Optional: Sometimes some of us choose to stay for a second round. Great for when you‘re on a roll and have time. **A note about the format** We don’t host critiques or readings. These events are a safe space for writers of all skill levels and genres to work on their craft, so no one will read or critique your writing. For our full event schedule, visit [https://shutupwrite.com](https://www.shutupwrite.com). **Other Important Details:** WiFi available Travel / Parking: Hietzing station (U4, 10, 60, 51A, 56A, 56B, 58A and 58B). Very limited public parking (Kurzparkzone), Parkgarage Hietzing nearby.

The biggest football tournament on earth is finally here! 🌍🏆 The FIFA World Cup 2026 is taking over the USA, Canada, and Mexico, and we are bringing all the action, energy, and stadium atmosphere straight to you. Whether you are a die-hard football fan or just love the unmatched vibe of a global tournament, this is the place to be! We are hosting our official World Cup Watchparties at **Pickwicks** – your favorite local pub with great screens, cold drinks, and an amazing community of sports lovers. At this evenings is **free choice of seats**! Enjoy your Watchpartie! 🥳 [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/makingfriendsinvienna)❤️ [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/makingfriendsinvienna)💙 Do you have questions? Write us on Instagram 🎉

**Note the address says SE but it should be SW** HSLC is excited to collaborate with October One Vineyard for a monthly Yappy Hour! To support our local animals, please bring a pet food donation. Your monetary donations help cover much-needed medical expenses for homeless and at-risk animals. This event will be 5-8pm on the last Friday of every month at the October One Vineyard tasting shop in Downtown Leesburg. This event is free to the public, so stop by and raise a glass. HSLC will be on hand to answer questions and let you know about available animals. Let’s “cheer” up our local area animals in need!

***Feel free to come earlier to ensure we have enough courts!*** **Remember to bring a can of new or lightly used tennis balls.** By signing up to this Meetup event, you agree * To practice effective social distancing and hold yourself 100% responsible for protecting yourself against exposure to Covid-19 and any other cooties. * To not hold anyone (including Meetup.com) liable should you be exposed to Covid-19 by attending this event. * To decline attending if you suspect you have any of the Covid-19-related symptoms (we can wait until you're better to show your tennis prowess). Please bring a can of NEW tennis balls. As usual, this meetup is cancelled if the weather doesn't permit us to play If you see others waiting to use the courts, please limit your play to one short set (best of 5 games), where the losing team rotates out. Thanks in advance!!

Mindfulness Meditation group practice every Wednesday evening at Unity of Gaithersburg. Mindfulness practice is not about achieving some special state of mind; it is more about noticing the experience you are having without trying to change it. This interesting video suggests why you might sit and watch your mind wander off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmmBF8eTl18 This noticing tends to shift your nervous system from a 'fight-or-flight' state to a more relaxed and receptive state. In this receptive mental state, you begin to see your own experience differently and, over time, see other people and the world differently. Also, it is good for you: "the effect of regular meditation on the cortex was so profound that fifty-year-old meditators had a prefrontal cortex that looked like that of a twenty-five-year-old" [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PLRZVTT](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PLRZVTT) Here is an interesting and funny take on meditation by Ajahn Brahm: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR60RRmXeYs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR60RRmXeYs). If you arrive on time, there will be an introduction at the beginning, if you arrive late, find a chair and join us. There will be some discussion after. This is a free event, but contributions to the church's expenses are welcome. You can just show up this Wednesday or subsequent Wednesdays. More information at [https://www.unityofgaithersburg.org](https://www.unityofgaithersburg.org/)/

Join us for an evening of music that showcases not only the incredible songs but also the joyful spirit of ABBA. This was the best time we had last summer! Whether you’re a lifelong fan or new to their music, this tribute promises to be an unforgettable experience filled with energy, enthusiasm, and plenty of dancing. Don't miss your chance to be part of this extraordinary celebration of ABBA from some of New York’s finest!! Lets get there at 6:30 to grab space on the plaza. The band plays from 7:30 - 9:00. Bring a chair to take a break from all the dancing we will do! Park in the ParkX lot. You will have to take a ticket but the event event organizers will hand out chaser tickets to make the parking free.

**Our Meetup is off to another hiking adventure! Mt Kilimanjaro, as the tallest mountain in Africa, is included in the 7 Summits of the world.** **It is a bucket-list item for all hard-core hikers and mountain lovers.** We did this trek with Meetup in the summer of 2024 and it was a true experience of a lifetime (see photos below) Let's get to some numbers. It is 5,895m/19,340ft BUT . . . our starting elevation for the trek is 3795m/12541ft As such elevation gain is 2100m/6799ft To compare Everest Base Camp trek, is about 2754m/9035ft elevation change. And Mt Whitney is about 1828m/6000ft elevation change. The key to being able to succeed in this endeavor lays in the route and the support system. We are taking the Lemosho Route via the Northern Circuit. The Northern Circuit route is the longest and newest of the seven established Kilimanjaro routes. It's one of the best routes because it has the best acclimatization profile. This results in one of the highest summit success rates. Add to that stunning views, and comparatively relaxed pace. It is also much less crowded than the other Kilimanjaro routes. As far as our support system: We will be accompanied by experienced guides, porters and cooks. They are certified, ensuring our safety and comfort. Porters will carry our gear. We will have a high ratio of guides to hikers. Our guides will go our pace and support each and everyone of us, regardless of fitness level and pace. In other words...you go your own speed and we all get there safe. More about our trek/trip. As with all our international trips, we picked the best season/time of year to go for weather and wildlife. Lemosho and Northern Circuit is a scenically spectacular and varied route. At the lower elevations it has an abundance of wildlife such as elephant, buffalo, eland and lion which come over to forage during dry season. **Each of our trips is personally crafted to offer the best places and best use of time.** *But I don't have the needed gear?!* You don't need much more than the standard trekker's equipment. We will provide you with a list of what is already included and what can be rented there. *Does this include food?* All meals on the trek potion are included and a cook travels with us! *What is lodging like?* We are sleeping in new and comfortable tents (carried during the day by porters) *I am new at this.* That's OK. We do plenty of prep Zooms before we depart. And in California we have a number of local outdoor day or weekend outings you can test out with us. *How dangerous is this? What if I get sick or hurt?* We will be walking on an established, well used trail the entire time. **Our trip INCLUDES emergency insurance.** We are also Certified Wilderness First Responders and our guides are members of (AMREF) Flying Doctor. **Plain and simple, safety is our primary goal.** *How much does this cost?* **Kilimanjaro Mountain Trek $3950 per person, double occupancy. Land only (airfare not included). Solo supplement $600** Trip Cost includes: \- 9 nights accommodation \- 3 meals everyday on the trek \- All Fees & Entrances and Taxes \- Camping equipment such as tents\, tables\, chairs\. \- Lead Guide\, Assistant Guides\, Porters and Cook *RSVP to this event shows your interest, but does not hold your space.* ***The only way to secure your spot for this trip is a $300 deposit:*** ***[CLICK HERE FOR SECURE DEPOSIT LINK](https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/8P9NUAVQM8UEN)*** *Deposit is refundable up to 90 days before the departure (less PayPal fees).* *IF you need an airfare quote,* [Click here to message Anna](https://secure.meetup.com/messages/?new_convo=true&member_id=131297062) For more information about this or any of our other international events, fill out this form: **[INTERNATIONAL MEETUPS INFO REQUEST](https://forms.gle/cQdqYw74gAYqphXX8)** To see pictures from our Kilimanjaro adventure in 2024 [CLICK HERE](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPkfkUp6sEZVQ-xse1di_K19d1QVmSb5KOLeIjynRoWGv_XFLXI8wBfT61XxAHavg?key=U2tKajBuOGRiZkxBOUtTUG1GbUVRVmlDaERCeG5n) We do a monthly Q & A Zoom: Meet others attending, be social, or come and get any questions answered. [Click Here to RSVP to our Zoom](https://www.meetup.com/moretoexplore/events/296044209/) The MAIN location where this event is posted: [https://www.meetup.com/moretoexplore/events/302872805/](https://www.meetup.com/moretoexplore/events/302872805/) (RSVP there for any conversation and comments) This events is cross posted to several other groups and the number of RSVPs on each is not reflective. We have a set of sister groups where we post our local free, local/regional camping, and our overseas events too. [Click Here ](https://www.meetup.com/CulturalArts/Events)for our other events: Live the adventure instead of only dreaming it! SOT 200318-10