Special Interest Groups
Special Interest Groups offer a wide range of activities including food groups, arts and crafts, music and singing, exercise and fitness and fun excursions. Participants meet together in groups to cook, knit, make music, hike and eat dinner at local restaurants and go on outings for games, etc.
All activities provide great opportunities for women to talk and make new friends. Groups meet weekly, twice a month or monthly.
1. Lunch and Learn Group
First Friday, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm
An opportunity for a potluck lunch at the leaders' homes or a gathering at a local restaurant. Discussion of topics relating to food, culture and travel.
2. Vegetarian Cooking Group
Second Monday, 11:00 am – 1 pm
The group is for vegetarian and non-vegetarian women who would like to learn more about vegetarian cooking. It’s important to have women from many countries, so we learn about food from different cultures. We take turns making vegetarian dishes and bringing them (or demonstrating how to make them) at our meetings.
3. International Cooking Group One
Second Friday, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Meetings will begin at 9:30 am the leader’s home and will end around 12:30 pm, after the group has consumed the food prepared that day. Each member will “demonstrate” by preparing typical dishes of her home country (using ingredients brought by her).
Members will be selected from all those who sign up in a manner that maximizes the variety of nationalities.
4. International Cooking Group Two
Third Friday, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Meetings will begin at 9:30 am the leader’s home and will end around 12:30 pm, after the group has consumed the food prepared that day. Each member will “demonstrate” by preparing typical dishes of her home country (using ingredients brought by her).
Members will be selected from all those who sign up in a manner that maximizes the variety of nationalities.
5. Knitting Group
Second and Fourth Thursday, 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
The group is for women who CAN knit. You don’t need to know a lot, just how to knit and purl. We share patterns and help you improve your skills. You purchase your own yarn and needles. We have pattern books, etc. that you can borrow. We have supplies to use for practice. We meet in a craft room for two hours. Come when you can and stay for one or two hours.
6. Hiking Group One (Year Round)
Every Monday, 10 am - 12 pm
We meet at local parks year round, weather permitting. An email is sent to group members on Saturday with the location. We hike for 1 ½ - 2 hours, sometimes we go up steep hills. We take a break halfway. No one hikes alone and we talk as we walk.
Come when you can, but arrive by 10 am because we leave on time.
7. Stroller Walking Group (March through November)
Every Thursday, 10:30 am - 11:30 am
We meet for a 1-hour walk, March through November, weather permitting. An email will be sent the week prior to the meeting with the location. Come when you can, but arrive by 10:30 am because we leave on time.*** Children are included in this group, bring your stroller or your carrier, if your toddler would like to walk we can include some slow walking time towards the end of the walk for them.
Optional: Stay afterward to play.
8. Chat and Chew Group (Mostly Year Round)
First Tuesday, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Join this fun and active group to get to know each other and establish lasting friendships in a casual environment. The meetings will be at coffee shops, restaurants, bistro’s, etc. We decide on the next place to visit at the end of each meet up.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS GROUP IS CURRENTLY FULL AND HAS A WAIT LIST AS OF OCTOBER 4TH 2023
9. Fun and Games Group (Mostly Year Round)
Third Wednesday, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
We are a fun loving group that enjoys a variety of activities, all accompanied by constant conversation and food if possible! We might meet at the home of a member or meet about town. Examples of things we have done in the past year; Bowling, Summer Festival, Halloween Craft Night, Pickleball, Word Games, Board Games at Blom etc.
POP-UPs
Pop-up events are visits and tours of Ann Arbor and the neighboring communities’ attractions and events.
The purpose of these events is to give members, family and friends, the opportunity to discover the area and create stronger social connections.
We hope that events where members can bring all their family (spouses/partners and children) will be valuable in creating a core community group from which membership in International Neighbors will grow.
Pop-up events do not have a set time or date of meeting as it will differ with each community attraction event.
Information about events will be sent to IN members as emails, postings on Facebook, Instagram, etc.. Sign-up will be done for each event separately to allow members to attend any event that interests them.
