If you live in the US and near North Georgia area we have a monthly meet-up LUG (Linux User Group) you can join.
Those that join us in October - Michael Tunnell will be there live as well. Get a chance to mess up his hair.
Details for the event: Click Here
All true except for the hair part 
if we want to start networking in person and maybe form a local LUG where would we do that? Is there a location here on DLN to start getting word out to others in our area or is there somewhere else outside DNL to do that?
@haroldcrews great question and while I am working on something like that, there isnt a place right now for that that I know of but I am working on something.
There is a way to do your own group but as far as advertising that’s a bit more complicated. If you would like to create your own and you want a platform for that part then check out https://gettogether.community
I understand there is an open-source “Meetup” or there was about six months or so ago. Can’t remember the name of it right now. I remember checking on that when first hearing about it. But there wasn’t a LUG anywhere near me.