Went to a local language meetup, each table had a different vibe, it was a fun experience

Last night I tried out a language meetup in my city, and was surprised how many people were there (maybe 50+?). It was held in a separate room at a bar, with tables organized by language, marked with flags depending on which languages people were practicing that night.

I got there shortly after it started, so people gathered at one table (which ended up being the English table later on). Got a beer, and chatted a bit with a few other newcomers.

After the language tables were set up, I moved to the Spanish table, which is my strongest language. There was maybe a 50/50 mix of native speakers and learners. Lots of people learning for fun or travel, so conversations were fairly relaxed.

Then I moved over to the French table. Everyone at the table was a learner, I didn't encounter any native speakers. A number of people were learning for immigration/citizenship reasons (I'm in an English speaking province of Canada). I ended up playing more of a helping role, assisting people with their questions.

I kept eyeing the Chinese and Portuguese tables but they stayed empty. I eventually mentioned I was looking to speak Chinese (TL) and a guy was happy to move over there with me. More people joined later and it had a great vibe.

It was really refreshing to be around so many language learners/enthusiasts. I didn't realize there were that many in my city of a million people. Have any of you been to anything similar? How was your experience?