About us
Our active community is hosted on Heylo, where members can view events, connect with each other, and help shape the community.
Join us at: https://heylo.group/walthamsocial 💕
I started this community 9 years ago to create a friendly, local space for people to meet, socialize, and build real connections close to home. It’s been my passion to keep this community going and bring people together in a fun, relaxed environment.
We encourage you to visit our website and learn more about our community, events, and values to see if this is the right fit for what you’re looking for. Visit us at: walthamsocial.com
Feel free to join both and check us out.
Join us at: https://heylo.group/walthamsocial 💕
I started this Waltham community group 9 years ago to create a friendly, local space for people to meet, socialize, and build real connections close to home. It’s been my passion to keep this group going and to bring people together.
Who is This Group For?
This group is for people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s living in Waltham and surrounding MetroWest and Central Massachusetts communities who want to:
✔️ Connect and make new friends without the hassle of going into downtown Boston
✔️ Explore local restaurants, pubs, outdoor activities, and things to do in the area
✔️ Enjoy walks, hikes, kayaking, and seasonal outings
✔️ Meet people in a welcoming, easygoing, low-pressure environment
✔️ Be part of creating and shaping a local community
Most of our events are currently in Waltham and nearby communities, but because FBB is member-led, the community can extend beyond our usual event area. If you're farther out and don't see events near you, you can help bring FBB to your area by suggesting or creating events closer to home. We can support you with the planning, event platform, and promotion.
I'm outside the age range, can I still join?
We’re not super strict, but we do ask that you be honest when answering the membership questions.
This group is geared toward people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s because most members are in that stage of life.
If you're outside that range but believe the group is still a good fit for you, that’s totally fine. What matters most is that you're a good match for the vibe of the group.
Our Goal
We aim to create a space where people can build meaningful, real-life friendships through consistent, in-person connection.
In today’s busy, screen-heavy world, forming genuine relationships can be difficult, especially close to home.
This group exists to make that easier by bringing people together in a way that feels natural, low-pressure, and welcoming.
But FBB is more than an event calendar. We’re a member-led community.
We believe the best communities are created by the people who are part of them.
Members help shape the group by sharing ideas, creating events and experiences, helping behind the scenes, and contributing in whatever ways work for them.
A Member-Led Community
FBB isn't a group where one organizer decides what happens while everyone else simply attends. We want our members to help bring the community to life by creating the events, activities, and experiences they want to see.
Have an idea for a coffee meetup, restaurant outing, cultural activity, game night, outdoor adventure, or something completely different? You can turn that idea into an FBB event with support from the organizer.
You don't need to know how to organize everything yourself, we can help with the planning, event platform, promotion, and other behind-the-scenes details.
And being part of a member-led community doesn't mean you have to organize events. There are many ways to contribute, from helping behind the scenes to sharing ideas, welcoming new members, helping with an event, or contributing in smaller ways.
Prefer to work behind the scenes or contribute in a smaller way? That's completely fine.
What matters is being open and willing to contribute and feeling a sense of shared ownership in the community we're building together.
FBB belongs to the people who are part of it, and we're excited to see what we can create together.
Why Join Us?
Our events are casual, low-pressure, and designed to help you connect naturally with others.
Whether you’re new to the area or looking to expand your social circle, if you’re friendly, respectful, and want to be part of a community, you’re welcome here.
We value members who engage honestly and positively. That shared participation is what keeps the group fun, welcoming, and meaningful.
P.S. We also have a sister group for Latines, providing a space for native Spanish-Speakers in the area to connect. https://raiceslatinas.walthamsocial.com/
Membership Requirements
• A clear, identifiable profile photo (so the host can recognize you at events for safety)
• Completion of membership questions
• Taking a moment to review the group’s About page or website (walthamsocial.com) to ensure it’s a good fit for what you’re looking for
If you prefer not to display a public photo, please message the organizer to request the group’s official email, and send a photo for verification before your request can be approved.
Membership Dues
This group has a $15 annual membership contribution.
Your membership helps support the ongoing costs of running the community, including the hosting platform, group resources, event supplies, and future community-building opportunities.
The annual model allows members to participate in events throughout the year without paying individually for each one, while helping create a more sustainable and consistent experience for everyone.
Membership also helps encourage commitment and engagement. We've found that having a small annual contribution significantly reduces no-shows and helps us create events filled with people who genuinely intend to participate.
By joining as a member, you’re showing that you’re interested in being an active part of the community and helping make it a welcoming, reliable experience for everyone.
Your support helps keep the group active, welcoming, and growing.
Group Expectations & Community Guidelines
To help keep our group safe, respectful, and welcoming for all, we’ve put together a shared document outlining our community guidelines.
Please take a moment to review them before attending events:
Featured event
Saturday Tapas Lunch: Meet New People Over Shared Plates 🍷
About Our Community
Friends Beyond Boston – Waltham Social (20s–40s) is a local community built around genuine connection, small events, and welcoming spaces where people can actually get to know each other.
We’re a member-led group, which means members are welcome (never required) to host or cohost simple events with support, it’s how we keep things fun, varied, and shaped by the people who make this community special.
Join us on Heylo: https://heylo.group/walthamsocial
Learn more on our website: https://walthamsocial.com
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About this event:
New in town? Looking to make new friends? Join us for a Saturday tapas lunch where you can meet new people over great food! 🍷
There's something special about sharing a meal with people, it's one of the oldest, simplest ways to bond and build real connections.
We're heading to one of our favorite local spots to do just that.
I first tried Bocado last year and instantly fell in love with it!
We'll be enjoying their $49 per person tapas experience (for groups of 5 or more), which includes:
4 charcuterie & queso boards to share
Your choice of a madalena or Mediterranean salad 7 different tapas 2 postres (desserts) to share
With so many tapas to choose from, we'll get to sample a variety of dishes and enjoy them together around the table. It's the perfect way to explore new restaurants while actually getting to talk to people.
We're test-trying this shared-tapas format with the group, so we're keeping it small, capped at 6 people for our initial reservation.
If there's enough interest to fill a waitlist, we'll look into expanding with the restaurant, but no promises.
Please RSVP responsibly for this one! We'll be making a reservation with the restaurant based on the number of people who sign up, so please only RSVP if you're reasonably sure you can attend.
If your plans change, please update your RSVP as soon as possible so we can adjust the reservation and give someone else a chance to join.
If you're not a fan of sharing tapas, this event isn't for you, and that's perfectly okay! More food events (and other types of events!) are coming where you're more than welcome to join. Just don't force this one 😄
If you have any food allergies, please let us know as early as possible, not the day of/before, so I have enough time to call the restaurant and check what they can and can't accommodate.
Come hungry and ready to connect! 🎉
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⏰ Timing
We'll be making reservations so try to be as on time as you can. We'll give a grace period of around 15 minutes or so before people start looking at the menu and ordering, so if you're late keep that in mind.
Feel free to leave when you need to, as soon as you're done, or stay as long as you want!
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🅿️Parking
Street parking is available around Wellesley Square, and there are also several public parking lots nearby, including the Waban Street Lot.
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⚠️ RSVP Policy (Please Read)
This is an event for members of this community group who RSVP in advance.
For safety and group flow, walk-ins and guests not on the RSVP list cannot join.
We love meeting new people, just be sure to RSVP ahead of time so we know you’re coming!
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(ignore keywords)
make new friends • new in town • brunch • waltham • newton • watertown • arlington • belmont • wellesley • metrowest • tapas • casual chat • friendly faces • weekend • welcoming • connections • community • friendships
Upcoming events
11
⚠️ We’ve Moved to Heylo 🌿
·OnlineOnlineHi everyone! 👋🏽
We’ve officially moved our community to Heylo, which is now our primary platform for FBB.
👉🏽 Heylo is where our community communicates, shares resources, posts updates, and manages events.
👉🏽 Most events will be posted on Heylo. Some events may also be posted here on Meetup, but Meetup will not have our full event calendar.
🌿 Join us on Heylo:
https://heylo.group/walthamsocialWe’ve been making this transition gradually since last year, and September marks the end of our active migration period.
Why Heylo?
Heylo gives us a better home for the community we're building, especially as FBB becomes more member-led. It gives us a place where members can share ideas, communicate with each other, access community resources, and participate in the group beyond simply RSVPing to events.
Meetup is still useful for people discovering FBB and for members who prefer using Meetup, but maintaining the same level of activity on both platforms means double the work behind the scenes.
For that reason, Heylo will be the most complete and up-to-date version of the community.
If You Prefer Meetup
That's okay! You can continue using Meetup for events that we post here.
Just keep in mind that not every event will be posted on Meetup, and the full community experience is now on Heylo.Conversations, community resources, member-led opportunities, and other ongoing group communication will primarily happen there.
I'll also be checking Meetup less frequently now that Heylo is our main platform, so Heylo is the best place to stay connected and make sure you don't miss what's happening.If you haven't made the switch yet, we'd love to have you join us! 🌿
Join FBB on Heylo:
https://heylo.group/walthamsocialThank you for being part of the community and for helping us make this transition! 💛
1 attendee
🌮 Backyard Potluck: Make New Friends & Good Food
Pequossette Park, 72 Maple St, Belmont, MA, USAbout Our Community
Friends Beyond Boston – Waltham Social (20s–40s) is a local community built around genuine connection, small events, and welcoming spaces where people can actually get to know each other.
We’re a member-led group, which means members are welcome (never required) to host or cohost simple events with support, it’s how we keep things fun, varied, and shaped by the people who make this community special.
Join us on Heylo: https://heylo.group/walthamsocial
Learn more on our website: https://walthamsocial.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
About this event:
Meet new people. Make new friends. Enjoy good food and good company outside. 🌮
We'll be gathering in the backyard of one of our regulars, who's kindly offered up their space for the afternoon.
It's a great chance to slow down, be outside, and connect with people who are also new in town, exploring the area, or just looking for their next group of friends.
Tacos from Tita's Kitchen are covered by the group fund.Since it's a potluck, everyone else needs to bring something to share:
🥤 Beverages
🍽️ A dish, snack, side, or dessert to share
🪑 Chairs, we'll need seating, so if you can bring some, let us know in the event chat!
🧺 Picnic blankets if you'd rather sit picnic-styleNo set menu, we'll coordinate in the event chat so we're not swimming in desserts with zero sides. 😂
📍The address shown is a nearby public park, not the actual location, this protects our venue host's privacy. RSVP'd members get the real address closer to the date.
🌧️ Rain date: Sept 19 Capped at 10 people. Good food, easy conversation, and a low-key way to grow your circle. 🫶🏽
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⏰ TimingPlease try to arrive as close to the start time as you can so we can get settled and enjoy the potluck together. Since this is a shared meal, arriving around the start time will also help us get everything set up and coordinate the food.
If you're running late, please let us know in the event chat so we know to expect you. We'll be a little more forgiving if you're the one bringing dessert. 😉
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🅿️ParkingStreet parking is available
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⚠️ RSVP Policy (Please Read)This is an event for members of this community group who RSVP in advance.
For safety and group flow, walk-ins and guests not on the RSVP list cannot join.
We love meeting new people, just be sure to RSVP ahead of time so we know you’re coming!
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make new friends • new in town • potluck • waltham • newton • watertown • arlington • belmont • wellesley • metrowest • welcoming • casual chat • friendly faces • weekend • backyard • connections • community • friendships1 attendee
Past events
140
