Are you ready to turbocharge your social life in the hip new city you just moved to? Fortunately for you, Calgary is an ideal hunting ground for those looking to build new friendships.
In fact, based on the most recent 2023 Readers Choice Awards by Condé Nast Traveller, Calgary ranked the friendliest city in the world! That makes your job so much easier from the beginning!
Plus, with our tips below, you’ll master the art of making friends in no time, leaving those lonely days a thing of the past. We’ll show you where to go and what to do to make friends as quickly as possible in our city!
Table of Contents
- 1. Participate in the trivia nights at Moose’s Beanery & Bar Room
- 2. Watch a sports game at The Hidden Spot
- 3. Be active in the New Canadian Friendship Centre
- 4. Join workout classes at Passage Studios
- 5. Join The Gloss book club
- 6. Look for events at Meetup.com
- 7. Sign up for art classes at Palak StudioInk
- 8. Learn a new language at Berlitz
- 9. Sign up for the Calgary Crankmasters Cycling Club
- 10. Watch drag shows at Dickens
1. Participate in the trivia nights at Moose’s Beanery & Bar Room
Website: https://mooses.ca
Address: 779 Northmount Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2L 0A1, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-300-6670
Operating hours:
- Monday to Thursday – 11:30 AM to 12 AM
- Friday & Saturday – 11:30 AM to 1 AM
- Sunday – 11 AM to 11 PM
If you’re a sucker for trivia, go to Moose’s Beanery & Bar room on a Thursday night. Loosen up with a few drinks and you should be good to go!
Feeling awkward talking to people? Don’t worry. It’s trivia night where everyone is invited to participate, so it’s like a group activity.
That means people wouldn’t be weirded out with you coming up to them and making small talk. This should help you be more comfortable making friends.
2. Watch a sports game at The Hidden Spot
Website: http://www.thehiddenspot.ca/
Address: 2323 32 Ave NE #125, Calgary, AB T2E 6Z3, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-457-9565
Operating hours:
- Monday to Friday – 3 PM to 12 PM
- Saturday & Sunday – 3 PM to 2 AM
If you like sports, don’t just watch games alone in your living room. Watch them at a sports bar called The Hidden Spot instead!
You’ll be able to bond with the person next to you everytime something exciting happens in the game. The Flames goalie stopped the shots from the other team? Do a high five with the person sitting next to you!
Of course if you’re rooting for the opposition, well, might as well stay at home – we’re kidding (no, we’re not).
Anyway, if all else fails, there’s also a pool table at The Hidden Spot. Why not challenge someone to a game? Whoever loses gets to buy the winner a drink.
3. Be active in the New Canadian Friendship Centre
Website: http://ncfcentre.com
Address: 3851 54 Ave NE, Calgary, AB T3J 3W5, Canada
Contact details: +1 587-390-0770
Operating hours:
- Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday – 9 AM to 3 PM
- Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday – closed
This is best for those who immigrated to the city from another country. The New Canadian Friendship Centre provides refugees and immigrants multiple channels to help their transition into a new country be as smooth as possible.
They have multiple programs where one can also make new friends such as ESL classes, creative classes (knitting, crocheting, etc.), bible studies, sewing classes, and such.
This one’s probably one of the easiest ones on this list because you’d be making friends with people who are also new to the city. There’s a big chance that they’re also looking for a friend!
4. Join workout classes at Passage Studios
Website: https://www.passagestudios.ca
Address: 524 11 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2R 0C8, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-277-3058
Operating hours:
- Monday & Wednesday – 6 AM to 9 PM
- Tuesday & Thursday – 6 AM to 8 PM
- Friday – 6 AM to 6 PM
- Saturday – 9 AM to 3 PM
- Sunday – 9 AM to 1 PM
If you’re someone who likes to stay active, you’d really enjoy making friends by joining workout classes at Passage Studios. They have yoga, HIIT, and spin.
Not sure how to make conversation? After the class, find someone you’re interested in making friends with and ask them how the class was for them.
Better yet, tell them about your experience first! It doesn’t have to be long dialogue. You could simply say “Wow, that was a tough class, huh?” and go from there. Maybe you can even invite them for coffee afterwards!
5. Join The Gloss book club
Website: https://theglossbookclub.com/calgary/
Do you sometimes finish a chapter of a nail-biter of a book and wish to share it with someone? If this sounds like you, you’d have an easier time making friends by joining The Gloss book club.
So, how does it work? Create an account on the website and check out the book of the month. If you don’t have the book yet, you can purchase it at the nearby bookstore or through sites like Amazon.
After doing that, talk about the book with other members. Don’t forget to watch out for events too! They host meetups from time to time.
6. Look for events at Meetup.com
Website: https://www.meetup.com/
Meetup.com is a website where people can host their own events and find people with the same interest who are willing to join.
There are plenty of events you can join at Meetup.com that align with your interests. Whether it’s photography, books, or culture exchange, you can find that here.
If you don’t find anything related to what you’re passionate about, why not put yourself out there even more and host your own event?
7. Sign up for art classes at Palak StudioInk
Website: https://palakstudioink.com
Address: 10060 46 St NE #905, Calgary, AB T3J 2H8, Canada
Contact details: +1 587-800-2110
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday – 8 AM to 11 PM
Signing up for art classes at Palak StudioInk is perfect for introverts. In fact, according to The Art of Education, art related activities are perfect for them because it helps them express their feelings through images rather than in words.
Moreover, most art classes usually require peace and quiet, which most introverts would enjoy. That said, how will one make friends when everyone’s busy doing their own thing?
Well, see that person beside you? Why not compliment what they’re doing? We’re pretty sure you’ll make their day, making it easier to start a conversation after the class.
8. Learn a new language at Berlitz
Website: https://www.berlitz.com/
Address: 407 2 St SW Suite 300, Calgary, AB T2P 2Y3, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-265-3850
Operating hours:
- Monday to Saturday – 8 AM to 9 PM
- Sunday – closed
Hit two birds with one stone – sharpen your language skills while making new friends at Berlitz! It’s an activity where you have no choice but to talk to other people, so it’s impossible to complete a course without making a new friend.
Aside from the in-person language classes they offer, you can also join their online community where you can engage with several language learners.
A few of the languages you can learn here are Japanese, Spanish, Italian, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese.
9. Sign up for the Calgary Crankmasters Cycling Club
Website: https://www.calgarycycling.com
Here’s another idea for people who like to keep active: why not sign up for the Calgary Crankmasters Cycling Club?
They have Monday and Saturday rides with schedules available on their website. The complete information like where to park and where to meetup are also written there.
Do note that they also post rides outside Calgary, so be sure to be mindful of the address.
Additionally, you can also volunteer to help them out. They’re looking for race organizers, timers, and such, which is also a great opportunity to meet new people.
10. Watch drag shows at Dickens
Website: https://dickensyyc.com
Address: 1000 9 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 2Y6, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-233-7550
If you’re a queer person in Calgary looking for new friends, finding the right gay bar would usually do the trick. Of course, non-queer people are also welcome in this loving space!
Anyway, Dickens is one of the best pubs in Calgary to watch a drag show. The crowd is intense (in the best way) and everyone just knows how to have fun.
With a friendly crowd like this one, it’s impossible not to make new friends. If you don’t find one on your first visit, that’s fine – just try again!
Aside from drag shows, Dickens also hosts burlesque performances, live music, trivia nights, poetry slams, and more.
