VIP Parties

Friday afterwork continues in the new year. You're more than welcome to join us and meet some new friends! Let the evening unfold and people shape the course of the night 😎 Come share your best (or worst) comedic mishaps, stories, and gossip in a relaxed, conversational meetup at **Kallio Bar** (right next to Street Bar) in Hakaniemi, Helsinki. Beers from **€6.50** 🍺, wine bottles **€25** 🍾 — and there will very likely be extra discounts 😉 Later in the evening, we might head to a nightclub or karaoke together 🤗 Hope to see you there!

Join us on **Fridays, 18:00 - 19:30** at **Lapinlahden Lähde** for a free session where we’ll explore the topic of the week. After 19:30, you're welcome to hang out with us. Depending on what the group decides, we sometimes: \- go out for dinner \- stay in\, enjoy tea and cookies and play board games ✅ Your **RSVP counts as your registration**, we expect you to **honour it**. 🤝 All conversations are confidential. What’s shared, stays in the group. 🌿 Small group, big heart: Everyone gets a chance to share. 🧘‍♀️ Come comfy, come curious. 💧 Bring water. Skip heavy meals & caffeine. 📍 **Tallipääty, Lapinlahdenpolku 8, Helsinki** (Through the gate, first door on the left!) **Kind reminder:** Last-minute cancellations or no-shows mean others miss out. To keep it fair, repeated cases may result in losing the spot in future sessions. If you want to be part of the MIITTI community, follow us on our other platforms: IG: [instagram.com/miitti1](http://instagram.com/miitti1) Facebook: [facebook.com/miitti1](http://facebook.com/miitti1) Web: [lapinlahdenlahde.fi/projekti/miitti](http://lapinlahdenlahde.fi/projekti/miitti) Whatsapp: Join our Whatsapp community network to join your favourite group and stay connected with the other members! When you participate in one of our groups or events, just ask the group facilitator to add you to the community!

【IMPORTANT SUMMARY】 * The purpose of competitive game session is to enjoy badminton games by focusing on trying your best to win the games. * You don't need to be a very good player to join this session. Our level range from beginner to intermediate. We will put you to play with people with similar level. But if you are the first time to come and I don't know your level, then I will put you to play with less-experienced players to start. * Please purchase your slot through this link [https://7538e9.myshopify.com/](https://7538e9.myshopify.com/) Please also read the instruction inside this link, so that you have an idea how it works. * Please bring feather shuttles to join the games. We only accept specific shuttles. Please read the following. **If you come without bringing feather shuttles with you, I may ask you to go home.** 【SIGN-UP SYSTEM】 * Please sign up and pay through this link. [https://7538e9.myshopify.com/products/competitive-game](https://7538e9.myshopify.com/products/competitive-game) * We don't use the signup system on Meetup.com anymore. (Neither the waiting list) * It says this event is full on this meetup page, because I didn't open any slots here for you to sign up. You have to check this [sign-up page](https://7538e9.myshopify.com/products/competitive-game) to see if there is still a slot available there. * The background of using an external sign-up and payment system is because Meetup.com introduced a service fee to increase 21% of the fee in May 2023, and we want to reduce this cost. 【FEE and REFUND POLICY】 * Fee includes courts and the work I do to continue this group. Please sign up and pay before you come. NO refund if you do not cancel until 48 hours before the event. * Racket: bring one or rent one at the counter. * No matter the reason is sickness, accident or anything, the group or I will not afford the cost caused by your absence. * Of course you CAN'T ask me, "Can I sign up for free for next week because I didn't come to use my slot this week?". Please remember, the court booked for you is there and it costs money. The court doesn't simply become "free of charge", just because you didn't show up. 【COMMUNICATION】 * Communication: our whatsapp group [https://chat.whatsapp.com/JJQbJlisbcj5YDnlcSu347](https://chat.whatsapp.com/JJQbJlisbcj5YDnlcSu347) * There are too many spams, so I only accept +358 number to join whatsapp group. Numbers from other countries will all be rejected. 【DETAILS of COMPETITIVE GAMES】 * This is the list of shuttles we accept: RSL Classic Tourney Li-Ning Super 1000 Victor Smash It 1 Victor Smash It 2 Yonex Aerosansa 30 Ling Mei Gold Ling Mei Black * Smash Center also sells feather shuttles (Ling Mei Gold and Black). You can purchase there at your arrival. 【OTHERS】 * Please always keep 1 meter away from those courts where people are playing. Never step into the corners of other courts! If I see you do this, I probably will yell at you! * If you have some questions, you can put your questions in the comments on the event page. People will respond. * If you are new to badminton, please Google basic badminton rules in advance. Serve rules, double rules and point counting rules. You are always welcome to ask anyone in our group. Most of our members are more than happy to help you. * Badminton activity is organized for non-profit purpose, but I take a small fee for my work. * Want to restring your racket? I can do restring for you. €24 including the string. Please get contact with Ken. [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XdBBBKBmsHqvMyI7t1MttqOxwX8rs7vQ/view?usp=sharing](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XdBBBKBmsHqvMyI7t1MttqOxwX8rs7vQ/view?usp=sharing) * You want to pay with your sport card or voucher? check the bottom of the page. Click "read more" [https://www.meetup.com/Helsinki-Badminton-Meetup/](https://www.meetup.com/Helsinki-Badminton-Meetup/)

Embark on a journey of creativity and relaxation as you explore different artistic mediums. Immerse yourself in a sculpture painting workshop and discover a variety of techniques and styles. Led by experienced painting masters, our workshops provide expert guidance and insider tips to enhance your skills. We supply all the necessary materials, from paints and brushes to sculpting tools, so you can fully immerse yourself in the creative process. At the end of each session, take home your unique masterpiece as a memento of your artistic journey! Reserve your spot today by pre-booking through the links below. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to tap into your artistic potential. Join us at GTC Cafe's painting workshops and let your creativity soar! You can also arrange this workshop for special events, birthdays, or any other occasion to enjoy with friends. Simply let us know your preferred date at least one week in advance. We can't wait to paint with you!

Lux Helsinki is an annual light art festival taking place in January. Let's take a walking tour of the installations around the downtown area (marked as [1-18 on this map](https://luxhelsinki.fi/ohjelma/)) and then sit down somewhere to discuss the experience. We'll meet at the [installation named Mielenkuvituksia, Outside Kiasma](https://luxhelsinki.fi/en/event/heli-suoninen-klas-granqvist-fi-mielenkuvituksia-2/) (number 1 on the map). **NOTE to our regulars:** this event **starts at 5PM** to view the pieces in the dark. # Lux Helsinki 6.–11.1.2026 By popular request, the Lux Helsinki Light Art Festival is being extended to six days, with the celebration to take place 6–11 January. The works will be located in the heart of Helsinki, between Kansalaistori Square and Hietalahti Market Square, at the Old Church Park and on the Espa Stage. Light works will also be on show at the Cultural Centre Kanneltalo and at up to ten art galleries in the city centre, all based on the theme Stop time! [https://luxhelsinki.fi/en/](https://luxhelsinki.fi/en/) \-\-\- Afterwards let's gather somewhere nearby ([Deliberi Keskuskatu](https://deliberi.fi/ravintolat/deliberi-keskuskatu/)) to discuss the experience we had. More details will be posted as we arrive at the venue.

Welcome to Food Without Borders! Come and experience tastes from around the world in Merirasti's community kitchen with Katja Meriläinen! IMPORTANT: Participation is free, but space is limited! Please make sure to reserve a spot! Food, and cooking in general, is on of the oldest and most universal ways of uniting people. Language barrier is one of obstacles for people to express themselves. This makes the kitchen an easy environment and great place to connect with people of different cultures. Introducing and cooking together dishes from various parts of the world will enhance diversity and richness of people with different backgrounds. Local food culture, foreign traditions and fusion cuisine that was created by mix of intercultural food preference. A brief introduction of what participants are going to learn: \- Practical skills for cooking and creating dishes of different international cuisines from scratch \- Learn about ingredients of introduced food equipment and tools needed for cooking \- Clear instructions with recipes for cooking at home independently \- Guidance from professional instructor \- Discussions about types of food and cultural traditions warm atmosphere for meeting new people and of course, the pleasure of cooking together! The workshops will each focus on a different theme. No previous cooking experience or skills are required to participate, just curiosity and willingness to try to cook and taste new food! WHEN & WHERE: Sunday 11th of January At 14.00-18.30 Kulttuuritila Merirasti, Jaluspolku 3 00980 Helsinki If you have questions about the workshop, feel free to contact Katja: +358404123242 About the facilitator: Katja Meriläinen is a professional Food and Beverage specialist and graduate of Haaga-Helia University of Applied Science, Hospitality, Tourism and Experience manager. She has 10 years of experience in the field, in restaurant, catering business and nowadays working for Helsinki city, cooking for 260 schoolchildren in Vuosaari. Join our Whatsapp community network to join your favourite group and stay connected with the other members! When you participate in one of our groups or events, just ask the group facilitator to add you to the community! IG: [instagram.com/miitti1](http://instagram.com/miitti1) Facebook: [facebook.com/miitti1](http://facebook.com/miitti1) Web: [lapinlahdenlahde.fi/en/projekti/miitti/](http://lapinlahdenlahde.fi/en/projekti/miitti/)

Embark on a journey of creativity and relaxation as you explore different artistic mediums. Immerse yourself in a sculpture painting workshop and discover a variety of techniques and styles. Led by experienced painting masters, our workshops provide expert guidance and insider tips to enhance your skills. We supply all the necessary materials, from paints and brushes to sculpting tools, so you can fully immerse yourself in the creative process. At the end of each session, take home your unique masterpiece as a memento of your artistic journey! Reserve your spot today by pre-booking through the links below. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to tap into your artistic potential. Join us at GTC Cafe's painting workshops and let your creativity soar! You can also arrange this workshop for special events, birthdays, or any other occasion to enjoy with friends. Simply let us know your preferred date at least one week in advance. We can't wait to paint with you!

**Community Yoga – Take a Moment for You** Come move, breathe, and unwind with us in this all-levels yoga class designed to help you slow down and reconnect. Whether you're brand new to yoga or have been practicing for years, you're welcome just as you are. Each session will gently weave together elements of Hatha, Vinyasa, and Yin yoga—varying by day—and conclude with a final relaxation accompanied by Tibetan singing bowls. The focus is on relaxing, tuning into your body, and simply enjoying a little time for yourself. No pressure, no expectations—just space to stretch, breathe, and feel good. \- Mats and pillows are provided \- Feel free to bring blocks or any extra props you like \- Please note: this class is not suitable during pregnancy Come for the movement, the stillness, or the good vibes—whatever you're needing most. We’d love to see you there! WHERE: Wanha Labra room (entrance from the cafeteria, 2nd floor) Lapinlahden Lähde Lapinlahdenpolku 8 00180 Helsinki If you want to be part of the MIITTI community, follow us on our other platforms: IG: [instagram.com/miitti1](http://instagram.com/miitti1) FB: [facebook.com/miitti1](http://facebook.com/miitti1) Web: [lapinlahdenlahde.fi/en/projekti/miitti/](http://lapinlahdenlahde.fi/en/projekti/miitti/) Whatsapp: Join our Whatsapp community network to join your favourite group and stay connected with the other members! When you participate in one of our groups or events, just ask the group facilitator to add you to the community!

Coffee, conversations & new connections ✨ I’d love to invite you to a special brunch to enjoy a relaxing and fun time together, share stories, and lots of laughter. It’s the perfect moment to connect, unwind, and make friends. 📅 Date: January 10, 2026 🕑 Time: 12:00 – 13:30 📍 Place: Moko Market, Punavuori 💶 Price: 26€ 👩‍👩‍👧‍👧 Spots available: 10 I hope you can join! ❤️😀 : https://chat.whatsapp.com/D5jBp2pLa5tJ9j4iEDGjg4?mode=wwt No pressure, no agenda – just good vibes, interesting people and a cozy atmosphere.

Doors open at 10:15. Northern Stars is the only advanced club in Finland. To become a member, you need to hold the title of Toastmasters competent communicator (CC), have performed at least 8 out of 10 speeches from your CC manual, or have completed Pathways level three. However, you are always most welcome as a guest at our meetings that usually take place the second Saturday of each month. It is certainly the best way for you to know if this club can support your aspirations: Please visit us! This will be a in person meeting: we'll meet at Oodi Library

*GOhio!* turns 8!! 🥳 Come celebrate with us at [Pins Mechanical](https://www.pinsbar.com/locations/easton)! 😄 **Summary** Pins Mechanical Co. is a social entertainment venue that combines old-school games like duckpin bowling, pinball, and other classic arcade and table games with craft cocktails, local beers, and punch. The vintage-industrial atmosphere is designed for playful, face-to-face gatherings with friends, family, and colleagues, offering a casual and lively alternative to a typical bar. Pins' Easton location spans over 38,000 square feet, making it the largest in the United States. This massive entertainment venue features two floors, a mezzanine level with stadium seating, and three full-service bars. It offers 16 duckpin bowling lanes, two indoor bocce courts, and more than 60 classic and modern pinball and arcade games. For additional fun, the location is known for its two outdoor patios, an indoor slide, and an expanded patio pong setup. **Activities** As noted below, some machines take actual quarters. Pins has two change machines (one downstairs and one upstairs) that accept ones, fives, or tens (only), and return quarters (only). * *Duckpin Bowling* [Like Bowling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duckpin_bowling) but with smaller balls, stubby pins, and no oil on the lanes. The cost is $9 per game per person. * *Pinball* [Who](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Who)'s a [wizard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinball_Wizard) on these [retro machines](https://pinballmap.com/map/?by_location_id=15311)? At $1 per play, everyone! Takes quarters. * *Arcade* Play classics like Gorf, Pac-Man, Gorf, Donkey Kong, Gorf, Galaga, and Gorf! The best part is, there's Gorf! And all the arcade games are free! * *Patio Pong* The classic college party staple but bigger. Instead of tossing a ping pong ball into cups, you use a regular ball and oversized buckets. There are two of these upstairs, and they're both free! * *Ping Pong* The most popular sport in China! They have two ping pong tables downstairs and two more ping pong tables upstairs. For those of you who have studied topological spaces and set theory, you will know this means they have four total ping pong tables. They have bubble gum dispensers with ping pong balls in them for 25¢ each. The dispensers take quarters. However, they also have racks where they store the ping pong paddles, and in these racks are slots for ping pong balls. It's not uncommon to see balls already here, so there's a chance you may be able to play ping pong for free if you want to. * *Hookie* You can't put your eye out! The safe alternative to darts: Hook thrown rings on a board. Outdoors on the upstairs patio, and free! * *Bocce* Like bowling, except there’s turf and a lot more balls. You can also knock your opponent’s balls out of the way. There are two of these upstairs, and they're both free! * *Foosball* Everyone loves [foosball](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_football)! 50¢ a game. Takes quarters. * *Giant Jenga* Stack massive wooden blocks into a tower, then take turns pulling out one block at a time without collapsing the tower. There are four of these sprinkled throughout the venue (two downstairs and two upstairs, with one on each patio), and they're all free! * *Skeeball* There are three skeeball machines on the first floor (near the Gorf machine!), and they're all free! * *Giant Connect Four* On the outdoor patio upstairs, and free! * *Bubble Hockey* This is upstairs. Up to four people can play at once, and it costs $1. Takes quarters. * *Cornhole* There are two cornhole lanes upstairs, and they're both free! * *Basketball* There are two basketball machines downstairs. They're tucked behind the downstairs bar, so they're not always obvious unless you go look for them. They're $2 per play, and they take quarters. * *NES and Sega Genesis video games* These are collections, downstairs (near the Gorf machine!), of video games that you can play for free! * *The Big Metal Indoor Slide* This large two-story slide is for kids, and certainly no adults would ride this. After all, it's not like it's free or anything. **Outdoor Patio** Pins at Easton actually has two outdoor patios. But for our purposes, only the upstairs one matters. See, it will be winter and likely cold. But their upstairs patio has multiple ceiling heaters and two massive gas fire pits that put out a ton of heat. Sitting out here may be a real option. As mentioned above, the upstairs outdoor patio has one of the venue's two Patio Pong setups, one of their multiple Giant Jengas, the Giant Connect Four, and Hookie. **Food** Pins doesn't serve food, but there's a [Mikey's Late Night Slice](https://www.latenightslice.com/) next door. This Mikey's is basically an extension of the Easton Pins; there's a large open doorway between both establishments. Mikey's has a fountain dispenser with Coke products. You can also get Coke and Diet Coke (but not Coke Zero, like you can at Mikey's) at the bars in Pins, but I think the quality of the soda pop from Mikey's fountain is better than that from the bar hoses Pins uses to dispense soft drinks. You are also quite allowed at Pins to either bring food in or order it in via your favorite delivery app. **Parking** I recommend parking in the [Worth Garage](https://eastontowncenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/parking-at-easton-updated-file-sept-25.pdf). It's literally right next door to Pins, and it's free as long as you park on Level 2 or above. They recently started charging people to park on Level 1, and you pay for parking on this level the same way you pay for street parking in Columbus, with the [ParkColumbus](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.parkmobile.parkcolumbus&hl=en_US&pli=1) app. I've seen them enforce this by ticketing people's cars, but I don't know how they actually compel payment. The garage is not a public street that actual cops can write you tickets for parking illegally on. If you have an actual ticket from a cop that you don't pay, they can go so far as to issue a warrant for your arrest. But all Easton has, seemingly, is, "[Please pay our ticket](https://eastonpreferredpark.com/)." Still, in my ongoing efforts to eliminate needless stress and aggravation from my life, I just park above the first Level. The actual address of the garage is [4049 Worth Ave, Columbus, OH 43219](https://www.google.com/maps/place/4049+Worth+Ave,+Columbus,+OH+43219/@40.0542293,-82.9137962,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x88388a86de3af559:0xc1dc8b4661fc834f!8m2!3d40.0542293!4d-82.9137962!16s%2Fg%2F11sgzjp4ml?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDkyNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D). However, your GPS is stupid. The actual entrances to the garage are on the cross steets Brighton Rose Way and Fenlon St, not Worth Ave. Just keep this in mind once you get to the garage. **Where we'll meet** I'll post in the comments where I am. People will obviously want to explore different areas of the venue over the course of the event (and there's a lot to explore), but please just let me know (as in, come find me) once you've arrived. **Peroration** Come on out and say hi! 😄

Let's have lunch at Uptown Westerville's newest restaurant. Ampersand is owned by the same couple who owns Asterisk. They are known for ramen, rice bowls, teriyaki and small plates.

Hey there Black Love Friends and Welcome to 2026! To start the year off right we're bringing back our monthly birthday celebrations...but over brunch! To kick us off we'll be enjoying breathtaking city views at the exquisite Goodale Station. So join us for good food, good conversation and if it's your birth month, enjoy a birthday mimosa on us. Space is limited so RSVP today

Join us at the Pickerington Public Library for an afternoon board game party. This all ages event will meet in the front meeting room, with kids games and light/medium weight adult games for the grown ups. Come and make new friends while playing some favorites like Uno, Carcasonne, Catan, Ticket to Ride, or whatever your favorite games are! You can bring snacks to this room, and can check out games from the library's game collection.

CG flips the script on networking, with surprises and connections that'll make you say, "Who knew networking could be this much fun?!"