The Girlhood Social Club celebrates its first anniversary at the Minnesota History Center
By: Kinsey Gade
On Sunday, April 6, around 6 p.m., long after the Minnesota History Center had closed, girly pop music could be heard from the outside parking lot. Inside, a sea of pink tablecloths, dresses, cupcakes and “Girlhood Social Club” signs took over the third floor of the center outside the Girlhood (It’s Complicated) exhibit.
Kacie Riddle, the founder of the Girlhood Social Club, a monthly event that centers around embracing girlhood, creating a community of friendship and participating in Twin Cities activities, toasted all 180 attendees to one year of the club’s growth. Riddle said the club has given her a purpose and has become a passion project that she will continue forever.
“Let’s do a little toast,” Riddle said. “Cheers to being girls together, being women together and exploring girlhood together. Cheers to us!”
Lydia Kline, 32, moved to the Twin Cities from Alaska following her boyfriend’s new job in June 2024. She knew the transition wouldn’t be easy, as isolation and desire for friendship quickly set in. Kline began searching to find community in her new environment and came across a TikTok video of a social gathering of girls enjoying a picnic in the park while celebrating girlhood. The group was called the Girlhood Social Club.
Kline first attended the club’s tie-dyeing event, in which she was welcomed with open arms, especially by Riddle. Kline said the occasion was empowering to be surrounded by so many amazing women bonding together.
“Events like this help remind us that we are all connected,” Kline said. “Womanhood and girlhood are not that far apart.”
Riddle started Girlhood, the podcast, in August 2023, which she expanded into the Girlhood Social Club, planning monthly events for girls in their 20s and 30s to connect, form new friendships, and participate in fun, girly activities that don’t revolve around alcohol.
The Girlhood Social Club’s first event, April 2024, Trader Joes and Get-to-Knows, was small, as much of the turnout was Riddle’s friends, but she persisted in planning more events and avidly posting on social media until attendance soared.
“I had to figure out how I could do this forever,” Riddle said. “It just unleashed this passion of mine for connecting with people, creating community and being around other women.
In September, six months after the first event, 50 new girls RSVP’d to a charm necklace-making event, according to Riddle. Since then, every event has grown in attendance, the largest being a Galentine’s Day Y2K-themed pajama party with 300 girls in attendance.
During the Christmas party, Riddle recalled being asked by a group of four girls who had just met at the event if she wanted to join them to get drinks after the festivities. Riddle said it was a dream come true to see the club fulfilling its purpose and creating friendships.
“It has been insane,” Riddle said. “I’m glad that my idea is something that other girls are excited about and resonate with.”
Girlhood Social Club takes up a lot of Riddle’s time, although she has a full-time job as a youth and fieldhouse manager at Interlachen Country Club. Riddle said she plans to keep expanding the club with social media avenues like podcasting and YouTube in hopes of working on the club full-time.
“As long as there are girls who want to come, I’m going to keep doing it,” Riddle said.
To learn more, check out the podcast episode here.