Rust NYC's Summer Social: Celebrating 10 years of community

Last week, Rust NYC celebrated a major milestone: 10 years of bringing together one of the world's largest Rust communities.

To mark the occasion, the community swapped its usual meetup format for an evening dedicated entirely to conversation, connection and celebrating the people who have helped shape Rust NYC over the last decade.

After the event, we caught up with the Lawrence Harvey team behind the Summer Social, Arianna Cook, Ben Martin and Ross Townsend, to reflect on the evening, what has made the community so special over the last 10 years, and what's next for Rust NYC.

Looking back on the evening, what made this year’s Summer Social such a special way to celebrate 10 years of Rust NYC?

What made it truly special was seeing so many people in attendance who had been part of Rust NYC before COVID. It was a real testament to the loyalty this community holds. And alongside those familiar faces, you could feel the welcoming spirit everyone brought toward newcomers. No matter your level of experience, connecting with people felt completely effortless.

Without the usual talks and presentations, how did the different format change the atmosphere of the event?

It gave everyone permission to let loose a little. Without an agenda, conversations naturally wandered into topics beyond what would have been on a slide deck. People who aren’t typically able to stay for happy hour actually showed up and had the time to build real friendships. I even watched one form right in front of me the moment two people realized how much they had in common.

Rust NYC has grown into the world’s largest Rust user group over the last decade. What do you think has been the biggest reason for that success?

It comes down to the energy every single person brings when they walk through the door. There are no cliques, no gatekeeping. It genuinely feels like one big family that welcomes you regardless of your background, your experience level, or where you’re coming from.

After celebrating such a big milestone, what’s next for Rust NYC?

We want to keep building, both the group itself and the broader community around it. A big focus for us is getting more organizations involved and helping make Rust a more common part of engineering stacks at companies across the US.