What Makes a Club?

At Join Philly, we define a club as a gathering of people who meet regularly around a shared purpose, interest, identity, or activity. We welcome everything from niche hobby groups and neighborhood mutual aid teams to co-learning circles and cultural collectives.

We’re looking for clubs that:

• Meet in person in or around Philadelphia
• Foster connection and participation (not just content consumption)
• Have some continuity—whether it’s monthly, quarterly, or seasonal
• Are open to welcoming new members (even if curated or capped)

We typically don’t include:

• Businesses promoting classes, services, or events (unless the group functions as a community in its own right)
• One-off events or pop-ups with no recurring structure
• Online-only groups
• Marketing campaigns or commercial “communities” with no real gathering

If your group blurs the line, don’t worry we love creative edge cases. Use the form to tell us more, and we’ll follow up if we need clarification. Take a look at our FAQs if you have more questions.

Listings are free for most clubs, especially those that are community-led, volunteer-powered, or member-supported.

If your club is part of a business or brand (even if the gatherings are free) we ask for a small annual fee ($35) to help support the platform and keep the directory free for grassroots groups.