YapFest
When yappers come together | DC, LA, NYC
YapFest: curated gatherings for adults to connect, converse & build community.
A pattern emerging from our community stories centers on their origins. What starts as a few friends gathering quickly turns to something bigger. And YapFest is one of those cases.
After realizing how difficult it is to stay connected as we age, Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola originally brought together a group of 16 friends. The next meetup, it doubled. And then a vlog tookoff from social that featured YapFest, and all of a sudden, people all across the country were requesting YapFest come to their city. Since then, it has grown month over month and continues to connect people who want to make friends and feel connected to others like them.
This is YapFest, and the story behind their growing community.
Q & A with Kristie, the founder of YapFest
Q1. When and why did you start YapFest, and how has it grown since then?
I started YapFest in June 2024, after realizing how difficult it is to stay connected as we age. I wanted to keep these meetups simple for my friends, so I handled all the planning and just told them to pull up. For our first event, we were a group of 16. By our second meetup in July, the group had already doubled in size. Actually, after our second event, a friend referenced us in her vlog. The video unexpectedly gained traction, and people were expressing their interest in our group. That’s when I decided to open YapFest to the public, and since then, it’s grown month by month, drawing in people who simply want to make friends, be social, and feel connected.
Q.2. You’ve held a range of different events, including pottery, creative cafes, and tennis meets. What have been some of your favorites, and are there any memories that stick out to you?
One of my favorite events was our Creatives Cafe pop-up in New York. It was our very first event in the city, and the love we received was unreal. As an entrepreneur and creative myself, I know how unpredictable and isolating the journey can feel, so being able to bring other creatives together and create spaces for them to connect with others on similar paths was really special. Our Annual Friendsgiving event is another standout for me. I love Thanksgiving, so being able to break bread, play games, and just slow down with the community always feels wholesome.
Q.3 YapFest is mostly based in the DC area but has hosted pop-ups in other cities like NY and LA. What was the process like to expand to these other areas, and how did it feel for you?
Hosting pop-up events in other cities is definitely a leap of faith. It was a little scary at first, especially since both New York and LA had never heard of YapFest at the time. I lived in LA for three years, and the idea for YapFest actually came to me during my final week in the city. I didn’t have the name yet, but I had a rough concept, so it only felt right to bring it back to where it all started. I invited my friends, they invited their friends, and with a little help from social media, we ended up having an amazing potluck on the beach.
New York is also a city dear to my heart. I wanted to bring YapFest to the city, so expanding felt exciting. TikTok was an amazing tool for connecting with new people and spreading the word.
Q.4. What’s next for YapFest? Any events you are excited about or any new ideas you’d like to share?
We hope to keep expanding! YapFest seems to work really well in transplant cities, so we’re planning more pop-ups, maintaining a consistent schedule of events, and continuing our mission to help eliminate adult isolation.
Q.5. What have you learned about community gathering from this experience? What does this community mean to you?
I’ve learned that building and maintaining community requires intentionality, grace, and boldness.
The older we get, the busier our schedules become, so sometimes we have to be deliberate about reaching out, showing up, and following through. Community takes effort from everyone involved, and sometimes it requires sacrifice.
It’s important to show up for your community members in the good times and the bad, when it’s easy and when it’s inconvenient. I absolutely love the community we’re building through YapFest, and the smaller communities that are branching off from it. Hearing stories of people connecting outside of our events, running into each other in different cities or countries, and in some cases, dating or getting engaged, makes this work rewarding!
Want to learn more about YapFest?