- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Ballymena, from Ecos Park to The Braid
One in five Ballymena households rents privately, and a Saturday variety market fills the Ballymoney Road car park from 8am.
31,200+
residents of Ballymena town in NISRA’s 2021 census
20%
of Ballymena households rent privately, against 17% across Northern Ireland (Census 2021, NISRA)
19%
of Ballymena people are aged 65 and up; NI share 17% (NISRA 2021)
Ballymena knits, writes and reads on Tuesdays
On Tuesday mornings Ballymena Central Library on Pat’s Brae runs Knit and Natter from 10:30am, alongside Tea and Newspapers, a no-pressure way to make friends in Ballymena. On Saturdays Ecos parkrun winds through wetland and meadow by the Braid River, and the variety market on Ballymoney Road trades from 8am to 2pm. Gofrendly lets Ballymena women arrange to meet there together.
Ballymena: quick questions, local answers
When is the Ballymena market?
The Ballymena Weekly Variety Market sets up in the Ballymoney Road car park every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, with dates listed by the council’s tourism site through December 2026. Going early, then walking on to The Braid on Bridge Street, turns it into a morning out in Ballymena.
What is Ecos Park in Ballymena?
Ecos Park covers about 220 acres of woodland, lake, wetland and meadow on the Braid River floodplain, close to Ballymena town centre, with around eight kilometres of mostly flat paths. Ecos parkrun uses it every Saturday morning, and 189 people finished its 640th run in mid-October 2026.
Does The Braid in Ballymena charge for entry?
No. The Braid on Bridge Street, beside Ballymena Town Hall, has free admission to the Mid-Antrim Museum, which covers prehistoric Mid-Antrim and local history, and keeps 10am–4pm hours Monday to Saturday. Its arts centre adds touring shows and classes, which are worth booking with a friend.
Can older women in Ballymena make new friends?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, shows Ballymena women of every age who lives nearby, with time to message before any meeting. With about 19% of locals aged 65 and up, Active Ageing Mornings at Seven Towers or Tea and Newspapers at the library suit a gentle first plan.
Ballymena, a Mid and East Antrim market town
In the Ballymena settlement one household in five rents privately and about 19% of people are 65 and up, each higher than in Northern Ireland overall. That mix of renters, who may move on, and older neighbours, who may have been here for decades, means circles form in different places, so it helps to try one daytime group and one weekend routine.
Whether you have just arrived or the house has gone quiet, feeling lonely in Ballymena happens, and it passes faster with a routine. The Braid, beside the Town Hall on Bridge Street, has a museum with free admission and an arts centre with classes, Seven Towers Leisure Centre offers aqua fit and Active Ageing Mornings, and the People’s Park, opened in 1870, has a lake with swans and geese. Two adult reading groups meet at the library each month, Time Out on first Thursdays and Page Turners on last Tuesdays. A few first stops:
1
Ballymena Central Library on Pat’s Brae.
2
The Braid, museum and arts centre on Bridge Street.
3
Ecos Park, 220 acres beside the Braid River.
4
The People’s Park on Doury Road and its lake.
5
Seven Towers Leisure Centre on Trostan Avenue.
LOCAL TIP
Book a place at Writers Block and, every other Tuesday, a table of people will be waiting to hear your next page.
How to
Ballymena: practical ways to make friends
1
Book into Writers Block, the fortnightly writing circle at Ballymena Central Library.
2
Join Page Turners for its monthly last-Tuesday book talk.
3
Walk Ecos parkrun on a Saturday, then browse the variety market before it closes at 2pm.
4
Visit The Braid’s galleries with a Ballymena woman you met through Gofrendly.
A real story, and the friendship facts behind it
Who created this Ballymena page
Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja prepared this Ballymena page side by side with our editors, for women at every stage, from new renters to those whose children have flown the nest.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
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