🎶 Hack + Jam: Strudel Pattern Language
2026-07-30 18:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Iffy Books, 404 S. 20th St., Philadelphia, 19146, United States
Please join us at the wonderful Iffy Books for this month’s edition of our livecoding jam! We will be making music using strudel. NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED!
If you have any questions, or want to help with jam setup, please join our discord!
Organized by the Philly Electronic Music Club

📍 Offline GPS Unit Workshop
2026-07-31 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-08-14 14:00 - 16:00
In this workshop you’ll build a device that displays your GPS coordinates and the current time, without connecting to the internet or transmitting anything. 100% passive and off-grid, no internet or cell connection needed!
We’ll use the MicroPython programming language and the Thonny IDE, following the instructions on this page.
You’ll need to purchase a kit to complete this project, which includes the following parts:

RP2040 Pi Pico microcontroller unit w/ pre-soldered header pins
830 tie point solderless breadboard
NEO-6 GPS unit w/ antenna
0.96″ OLED display
Single-core 22AWG jumper wire (30″)
rubber band (to attach GPS antenna to breadboard)

Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

📡 Meshtastic 101
2026-08-01 10:30 - 12:00, 2026-08-16 10:30 - 12:00
Join us for an introduction to Meshtastic, an application that lets you send private text messages over the air using pocket-sized LoRa radio transceivers. We’ll show you how to flash the latest Meshtastic firmware to the device, customize the settings, and start chatting with your friends.
Here’s a link to our zine on LoRa + Meshtastic.
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

🔊 DJ Basixxx with Mixxx
2026-08-02 16:00 - 18:00, 2026-08-05 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-08-16 16:00 - 18:00
If you’re curious about DJing but don’t have money to drop on equipment, this workshop is for you! You’ll learn to use Mixxx, a free and open source DJ program for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Mixxx supports a wide range of DJ controller hardware, but to make it more accessible we’re using regular QWERTY keyboards with stickers on the important keys. We’ll teach you to find tracks on the web, load them into Mixxx, and get started with beatmatching. It’s easier then you think!
You’ll need to bring your own laptop and headphones for this workshop. We also recommend bringing a separate USB keyboard if you have one, ideally with a row of function keys (F1, F2, F3, etc.). If you have an external audio interface, you’re welcome to bring that too.
The DJ controller sticker sheets we’re using are available on our online store. Or print your own (4″ x 4″) on sticker paper!
➡️ Workshop instructions
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

CircuitPython code for turning a Pi Pico board into a USB keyboard

🏠 IndieWeb Homebrew Website Club
2026-08-02 18:00 - 20:00
Homebrew Website Club is a growing world-wide network of meetups for everyone who wants to take back their web experience from social media silos, and own their online identities & content, or just want support with blogging!

☕️ Coffee Talk
2026-08-03 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-08-17 18:00 - 20:00
A social hangout every first and third Monday for trans and non-binary people, their significant others, and allies. We have snacks and coffee.

✏️ The Writing Room
2026-08-04 17:00 - 19:30, 2026-08-11 17:00 - 19:30, 2026-08-18 17:00 - 19:30
Come co-work with other writers in three 40-minute units of silent writing. Writers and projects of any type welcome. 10-minute breaks and accountability check-ins between units. BYO coffee, water, computer chargers, notepads, etc.

📼 Analog A/V Session
2026-08-05 10:30 - 12:30, 2026-08-19 10:30 - 12:30
Come experiment with VHS tapes and audio cassettes! We’ll have equipment on hand for analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog transfers.
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. Sorry.
Here's a link to future workshops in this series!

🔋 Beginner Soldering: Li-Ion Battery Pack
2026-08-06 14:30 - 15:30, 2026-08-13 14:30 - 15:30
Make a rechargeable battery pack for your LoRa node, a microcontroller such as an ESP32 or Pi Pico, or anything that runs on 3–4 Volts. Perfect for folks who’ve never soldered before!
To complete this project you’ll need to buy a li-ion battery pack kit for $3.99. Here’s what it includes:
• 18650 battery clip w/ attached wires
• TP4056 charge controller board
• PH2.5 plug w/ attached wires
• 1/8″ heat shrink tubing (1.5″ long)
• 1/2″ heat shrink tubing (1″ long)
You’ll also need a lithium-ion 18650 battery, available separately.
Register
Registration for this event is now closed. Sorry!

⚡️ Beginner Soldering: LED Spinning Top
2026-08-07 14:00 - 16:00
For this class we’re building a spinning top toy with LED lights that flash when it spins. No previous soldering experience required!

Registration
Registration for this event is now closed. Sorry.
Here's a link to future workshops in this series!

💻 Philly 2600 Meetup
2026-08-07 18:00 - 20:00
> The Philly 2600 meeting is a monthly gathering of local hackers, phreaks, nerds, geeks, activists, tinkerers, developers, infosec professionals, and other interesting people.

🧵 Anarchist Sewing Club
2026-08-09 15:00 - 17:00
Interested in learning to sew, mend or make clothes? Already know how and wanna hang out with people while sewing? Come and join us! Sewing supplies and a sewing machine will be available for anyone needing them.

Image credit

🏴 ̶A̶n̶a̶r̶c̶h̶y̶ ̶S̶u̶m̶m̶e̶r̶ ̶R̶e̶a̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶G̶r̶o̶u̶p̶:̶ ̶'̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶U̶t̶o̶p̶i̶a̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶R̶u̶l̶e̶s̶'̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶D̶a̶v̶i̶d̶ ̶G̶r̶a̶e̶b̶e̶r̶ ̶ (postponed to 8/23!)
2026-08-09 18:00 - 20:00
We’re postponing this meeting ’til Sunday, August 23rd. Sorry for the inconvenience!

🚧 Make Your First Website
2026-08-10 18:00 - 20:00
Make a home page like it’s 1999! Join us at Iffy Books for a new workshop called Make Your First Website, led by Ragman a.k.a. Richard Green. You’ll learn the basics of HTML and create a static site on the free hosting service Neocities. No experience necessary!
Please bring a laptop if you have one. We’re suggesting a $10–$25 donation for this workshop, no one turned away for lack of funds.
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

☀️ Solar Music Synth Workshop
2026-08-12 10:30 - 12:30
Join us and build a tiny solar-powered square wave generator on a breadboard. No soldering required! The workshop is free to attend, but you’ll need to purchase a kit for $12.50 to complete the project.
Here’s a link to the how-to zine we’ll use.
And here’s a diagram of the oscillator circuit we’ll build:

Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

📓 DIY Digital Notebook Workshop
2026-08-12 16:00 - 18:00
In this workshop you’ll build a digital notebook, a pocket-sized device for taking notes with a USB keyboard. We’re using affordable, widely available components: a Seeed XIAO ESP32-S3 microcontroller, a 1-inch OLED display, and a microSD card reader, arranged on a solderless breadboard. The ESP32-S3 connects to the display via the I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) protocol, and to the microSD card reader uses the SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) protocol.
No soldering required! Cutting and stripping jumper wires requires a degree of manual dexterity.
Please bring a laptop if you have one! If not it’s OK.
Instructions
Register:
Registration for this event is now closed. We'll offer it again soon!

⚙️ Neo-Luddite Reading Group: 'The Technological Society' by Jacques Ellul (pt. 1 of 3)
2026-08-13 18:30 - 20:30
We’re reading the first 1/3 of the book for this month! Check out the full schedule at victorgom.es/neoluddite
➡️ Virtual Meetup Link
Discord: Email neoluddite@victorgom.es for an invite!
If you’re joining for the first time, I’d suggest you read this before anything else for brief context: What the Luddites Really Fought Against by Richard Conniff.The only expectation is that you read the chapter(s) of the book that’s listed for that meeting. You’re still welcome to participate if you haven’t done the readings as long as you are mindful. For each chapter, I’ve also noted some optional readings for context, so I’d suggest checking those out rather than reading ahead in the book. And remember, if you ever find yourself struggling with any of the readings or concepts, reach out! Either directly to me over email or to the entire group over discord.

👓 Quarterly Bonus Workshop: ESP32 "Smart" Glasses Detector
2026-08-15 10:00 - 12:00
Our quarterly off-site bonus workshop for Patreon supporters. Check out our Patreon page for details!
For this one we’re setting up a li’l device that uses ESP32-Glasshole to detect nearby Meta glasses.
• ESP32-C3 microcontroller unit
• CR2032 coin cell battery (x2)
• through-hole push button switch w/washer & nut
• plastic bubble w/ hole for switch
• SH1.25 port w/ red & black wires
• SH1.25 plug w/ red & black wires
• 1.25mm heat shrink tubing (1/2″ long)
• craft tape on parchment paper (3.5″)
This project involves wire cutting, stripping, and light soldering. And the list of parts above may change.
esptool.py --chip esp32c3 --port /dev/abcdefghisomething write_flash 0x0 ~/Downloads/ESP-GlassHole-esp32-c3-v2.0.0.bin
Register
Registration for this event is now closed. Sorry about that!

🐌 Slow Living Support Group
2026-08-19 18:00 - 20:00
For people who value connection, sustainability, and creativity — without AI.
Bring:
• writing projects
• craft projects
• books & book recommendations
• CDs
Do not bring:
• screens
Provided:
• zine-making supplies
• snacks

🔋 Beginner Soldering: Li-Ion Battery Pack
2026-08-20 14:30 - 15:30
Make a rechargeable battery pack for your LoRa node, a microcontroller such as an ESP32 or Pi Pico, or anything that runs on 3–4 Volts. Perfect for folks who’ve never soldered before!
To complete this project you’ll need to buy a li-ion battery pack kit for $3.99. Here’s what it includes:
• 18650 battery clip w/ attached wires
• TP4056 charge controller board
• PH2.5 plug w/ attached wires
• 1/8″ heat shrink tubing (1.5″ long)
• 1/2″ heat shrink tubing (1″ long)
You’ll also need a lithium-ion 18650 battery, available separately.
Register
Registration for this event is now closed. We’ll offer it again soon!

🤔 FAFIO Beginner Tech Meetup
2026-08-20 18:30 - 20:30
FAFIO is a meetup for folks who want to learn new tech skills, but aren’t sure where to start. Let’s fuck around and figure it out. FAFIO means there is no instructor. Instead we learn by talking and sharing knowledge, reading info in zines and online, and hands-on trial and error.
