MaxFun Meetup Day 2023 is Thursday, March 23!

Yes, you read that right—after a few years without doing meetups due to the COVID-19 pandemic, meetups are officially back. On Thursday, March 23, MaxFunsters all over the world will gather together to celebrate their favorite shows and friendships, new and old.

(If you’re just looking for the list of meetups, scroll down or go to the map of locations.)

How to Host a Meetup

Meetups aren’t held by MaxFun staff or hosts—they’re held by MaxFunsters who want to hang out with their local community, talk about podcasts, and make new friends. All that it takes to organize a meetup is a willingness to find a local place, spread the word, and answer questions from people who want to attend the meetup. If you’re interested in hosting a meetup, please follow these steps:

Review the COVID guidelines below. While restrictions have eased in most places, the COVID pandemic is still going on, and it’s important to take a few safety precautions to make sure no one gets sick.
Pick a location near you. Make sure that there’s enough room for a small group to gather (if you’re unsure how many people will come, estimate about 30-40 in large cities like NYC or London and 10-20 in most other locations). If it’s a private venue like a bar or coffeeshop, we recommend calling ahead and making sure they’ll be able to accommodate a group.
Pick a time. We recommend holding events at 6:00pm local time, but you can do earlier or later depending on what works for you and your local community.
Tell us about it. Email cn@maximumfun.org with your location, venue name, the time your meetup is starting, and any other information you want to include (like “Look for Stacey M. wearing a blue MaxFun sweatshirt”). We’ll add your meetup to the list below so other MaxFunsters can find it! If you’d like to make a Facebook event to organize information, feel free to link us to that, too—just make sure that it’s a public event, not a private one.
Check out our digital meetup day kit. To help you put on the best meetup possible, we’ve assembled a digital kit containing helpful tips for running a meetup, fun podcast-related activities, sample COVID guidelines, a suggested harassment policy, and other materials that might come in handy. You can view all of those in Google Drive here! (If you have issues accessing that, shoot an email to cn@maximumfun.org and we’ll send everything straight to you.)
Host the meetup! After that, all that’s left is to host your meetup and have fun with other people who love podcasts as much as you do.

If you have any questions about running a meetup or about anything contained in the digital meetup day kit, email cn@maximumfun.org and they’ll be happy to help you out.

COVID-19 Safety Precautions

The COVID-19 pandemic is still going on, and a lot of vulnerable members of our communities can’t go to events that don’t take safety precautions to mitigate the risks of COVID. To keep your event accessible to everyone and to help prevent the spread of the virus, please take the following precautions:

Require masks at the meetup. Masks are a super effective way to help prevent the spread of COVID (CDC). Remember that people who have been vaxxed and boosted can still spread the virus (CDC), so even if you’ve been fully vaccinated, it’s still important to wear a mask!
Consider hosting the event outside. If weather permits in your area, holding an event outside or in an open-air venue like a brewery is another great way to stop the spread of the virus. Lots of public parks have open-air shelters that community members can reserve for either a low cost or no cost at all, which makes a great spot for a meetup! If an outdoor meetup isn’t possible in your area, try to find an indoor space with good ventilation.
Consider bringing hand sanitizer and/or masks. Hand sanitizer is a great way to make sure you’re not spreading germs by touch (especially if you’re at a venue without a place to wash hands), and having some disposable masks handy ensures that you won’t have to turn away people who forgot their masks at home.
Encourage people to stay home if they get sick. Even if the symptoms they’re having don’t quite match COVID-19 symptoms, nobody wants to go to an event and come away with the flu!
Have a back-up plan in case you get sick. Stuff happens, and sometimes you get sick unexpectedly. We recommend having a friend on standby who’s willing to run the meetup if you get sick and can’t make it. If you don’t know anyone who can do that, consider making a Facebook event for your meetup and asking the people there if anyone is willing to be on standby!

Meetup Locations

Scroll down to see a list of all of the cities that meetups are currently planned in, or look at the map below. Don’t see one in your city? Consider signing up to host one following the steps under “How to Host a Meetup” above!

Canada

Ontario

Toronto

Prenup Pub
191 College St., M5T 1P9
Facebook Event
Look for Elissa in a MaxFun shirt!

Europe

Denmark

Copenhagen

PULP bar
Sankt Hans Torv 3, 2200
Facebook Event
(If you aren’t on Facebook, email hannah.owens@gmail.com to RSVP)
Look for Hannah O. She has red hair with a blue streak.

United States

California

Los Angeles

Walt’s Bar
4680 Eagle Rock Blvd, 90041
6pm-8pm
Eventbrite (free, but please sign up to let the host know you’re coming!)
Look for Crystal with the MaxFun sign!

Colorado

Colorado Springs

Muse Comics + Games
1338 N Academy Blvd, 80909
7pm-9pm
Soft drinks and light snacks provided

Florida

Tampa

Coppertail Brewing Co.
2601 East 2nd Ave, 33605
Facebook Event
Look for Giovanni S. at the table with a sign!

New York

New York City

Minnie’s Bar
885 4th Ave, Brooklyn, 11232
7pm-12am
Facebook Event
Includes a costume contest, themed drink specials, and a raffle!

Oregon

Portland

Hollywood Library
4040 NE Tillamook St, 97212
Meeting room, 6pm-7:45pm
Facebook Event
Look for Tori in the denim jacket covered in MaxFun patches!

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh

Walter’s BBQ Southern Kitchen
4501 Butler St, 15201
Facebook Event
Look for Brian E. at one of the outdoor tables!

Tennessee

Memphis

Crosstown Concourse
1350 Concourse Ave, 38104
South Patio (outside Curb Market)
Facebook Event
Look for the MaxFun meetup table tent!

Nashville

TailGate Brewery Headquarters
7300 Charlotte Pike, 37209
Join the MaxFun Nashville Facebook group to access the Facebook event page
(Or email rauchamy@gmail.com if you aren’t on Facebook)
Look for Amy R.!

Texas

San Antonio

Summer Camp (Bar & Restaurant)
520 E Grayson St, 78215
Outside patio, 7-9pm
Facebook Event
Look for Stephanie S.R. at the table with a sign!

Washington

Seattle

Optimism Brewing
1158 Broadway, 98122
Facebook Event
Look for Hunter with the framed rocket logo cross stitch or the table reservation for MaxFun Fan Meetup!