The inaugural Belong Festival will be held on Sunday and offer opportunities to join clubs in the Gainesville area.   

This free event will take place at 3 p.m. at First Magnitude Brewing Company (1220 SE Veitch St.).  

“Belong Festival is an annual club fair for anyone in the Gainesville area,” said Eric Dutton, founder and president of WeBelong, Inc., in a press release. “The goal of Belong Festival is that everyone who attends can find a book club, a band, a hiking group, a tabletop gaming club, a sports team or something else to join and that they have a good time while they’re there. Or, if you have an idea for something you want to start, Belong Festival is a fantastic place to find people who want to join you.”

In addition to the opportunities to join existing groups and to form new groups, there will be a speed-friending event and contra dancing with live music.

“Loneliness and isolation were increasing even before the pandemic,” Dutton said in the release, “and although that is improving, we still haven’t returned to pre-pandemic levels. Joining groups of people with common interests is one of the best ways to meet people and make new friends. Belong Festival is designed to help people do exactly that.”