Theres resources out there to find stuff. I'm part of local (michigan) groups on Facebook to where people post they flyer of their events that are going on (sorted by month)...then you just have to sort through the months. I'm sure theres also going to be a website (
www.westmichiganbiker.com) to where a guy assembles all of the flyers in the month-to-month format and puts them up with a small tag line.
Gotta search around for your area. Ask your friends in the local watering holes and check out the bulletin boards there. Word of mouth is a good way. Spark-up conversations outside about different bikes and custom work while people smoke (even if you don't).
Local shops might have some info as well about swap meets and runs; go get a cup of coffee at the local dealership and chat around with some of the sales/parts guys, but remember to take that with a grain of salt at dealerships cause they'll try to sell you shit when all you want is info.