This Week in Geek (9/9/19–9/15/19)

Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, September 9, to Sunday, September 15.

Twin Cities Monday Night Backgammon

What: Gaming
When: Monday, September 9, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Minneapolis Richfield American Legion

Enjoy a night of backgammon with two tournaments. Entry to this event is $5, and this is a great chance for both pros and newcomers to learn this classic game of strategy.

Creative Night

What: Arts, Community
When: Monday, September 9, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Event Horizon at the Waterbury Building

This event invites participants to let their creativity shine with drawing, painting, crafting, or whatever their hearts desire at Creative Night, a weekly event put on by Crafty Geek and the Geek Partnership Society. Meet at the Waterbury Building at 6:30 and carpool or walk to see creativity in action.

John Wick Road Trip

What: Movies
When: Tuesday, September 10, at 3:00 p.m.
Where: Best Buy Minnetonka (Ridgedale Drive)

The John Wick Road Trip makes a stop in Minnesota to get fans up close and personal with the film’s hottest rides and props. The tour features a photo spot with the 1969 Ford Mustang, an interactive motorcycle and green screen combo to reenact an assassin escape, a selection of memorabilia on view, and opportunities to win swag.

Rickmobile

What: Arts
When: Tuesday, September 10, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Modist Brewing Company

Get schwifty in Minneapolis and come on down to—buuurp—check out a large Rick-shaped truck full of exclusive Rick and Morty merchandise and collectibles in the company of other fans. The Rickmobile is a unique pop-up shop with exclusive custom-designed Rick and Morty collectibles. Parking is limited, and the queue line may be capped, so don’t wait around on this one. For more information, check out the Rickmobile website.

Books & Bars: Little Fires Everywhere

What: Books, Food & Drink
When: Tuesday, September 10, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Moon Palace Books

Books & Bars is an “open public book club show” hosted and moderated by Minnesota Public Radio senior producer Jeff Kamin that provides attendees with “a unique atmosphere for a lively discussion of interesting authors, fun people, good food, and social lubrication.” The book being read and discussed this month is Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. The book is set in the author’s hometown, and follows the tale of two families brought together by their children.

NY Cat Film Festival

What: Movies
When: Tuesday, September 10, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Landmark’s Lagoon Cinema

Meowza! The NY Cat Film Festival brings together more than a dozen short films from around the globe that celebrate our feline friends and their companions. A portion of each $15 ticket goes towards a local nonprofit devoted to animal welfare. A full list of films, as well as additional information, can be found on the festival’s website.

Mystic Dawn/Amtgard

What: Gaming, Sports & Fitness
When: Wednesday, September 11, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Oak Grove Park

Amtgard, a global organization focused on the sport of medieval-fantasy combat, will be hosting a gathering in Oak Grove Park. Participants can take part in glorious quests, battle, and more, all with the use of foam weapons for the sake of safety. Garb is encouraged, but not required, and loaner weapons are available. This is a free-to-play event, but long-term players are expected to support the organization with $6 or $10 dues.

TC Trek Trivia

What: Trivia
When: Wednesday, September 11, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Driftwood Char Bar

Hosted by Master Trekkie, TC Trek Trivia consists of five rounds: General Trek (questions covering all things Star Trek); Identify the Image; Ships, Technology, and Cultures; Complete the Quote; and a “Wild Card” round. Questions for each of these five rounds are drawn from all Star Trek-television series and all 12 films. According to Master Trekkie himself, TC Trek Trivia is “all ages, no cover, food, drinks, and a whole lot of Trek!”

Crafty Geek/Make It Sew

What: Arts, Meetup
When: Thursday, September 12, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Event Horizon at the Waterbury Building

The Geek Partnership Society’s Crafty Geek club and its sub-club Make It Sew meet Thursday evenings at the Waterbury Building and invite you to “bring your crafty stuff to do” or to “hang out and work with the crafty stuff we have here!”

Futurama Trivia

What: Trivia
When: Thursday, September 12, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Various (see below)

Good news, everyone! The fine folks at Trivia Mafia are hosting a night of Futurama trivia in celebration of the show’s 20th anniversary. This event will be taking place in a variety of locations, so check the website for the location nearest you. Prizes will be awarded for top-scoring teams, best dressed, and creative team names. Up your chances of winning by avoiding brain slugs and the Hypnotoad.

Cocktails at the Castle

What: Nightlife, Music, Food & Drink
When: Friday, September 13, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: American Swedish Institute

Cocktails at the Castle, the American Swedish Institute’s signature museum party, returns this Friday to “ragnaROCK the night away” with an evening inspired by The Vikings Begin exhibition. Enjoy cocktails, pop-up performances, dancing, rune carving, falconry, and musical performances from Half Tramp, Monica LaPlante, Aby Wolf, and more. Viking costumes are encouraged, with awards going to the best dressed. Admission is $20 for nonmembers, and $17 for members plus fees.

Tsuinishi Anime Club

What: Movies
When: Friday, September 13, at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Event Horizon at the Waterbury Building

Anime Twin Cities has joined forces with the Geek Partnership Society “to bring a little bit of fun to you on the second and fourth Fridays of each month with this cosponsored anime club.” The group will show various anime movies and series.

BOWIEOKE IV: An All-Bowie Karaoke Celebration

What: Music, Night Life
When: Friday, September 13, at 9:00 p.m.
Where: James Ballentine “Uptown” VFW–Post 246

Ian Rans (host of TV’s Drinking with Ian and the Dive Bar Mitzvah podcast) will be hosting BOWIEOKE: An All-Bowie Karaoke Celebration at the Uptown VFW Friday night at 9:00 p.m. Tickets to this event cost $10 at the door, which will earn you access not only to the karaoke celebration but also to the costume contest and the “various space oddities” that await within.

Midnight Madness: Friday the 13th (1980)

What: Movies
When: Friday, September 13 and Saturday, September 14, at 11:59 p.m.
Where: Landmark’s Lagoon Cinema

It’s Friday the 13th, and ya’ll know what that means—Camp Crystal Lake and its counselors are being terrorized by a brutal murderer. Celebrate this namesake night and the iconic horror film that started it all with special midnight screenings at Landmark’s Lagoon Cinema.

The Irreverent Bookworm Grand Opening

What: Books, Community
When: Saturday, September 14, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: The Irreverent Bookworm

The grand opening of The Irreverent Bookworm, a new independent bookstore in south Minneapolis, is marked with “a party of special magnificence” this Saturday. Enjoy giveaways, treats, limited-edition swag, and, of course, an assortment of thoughtfully curated books available for purchase. Bonus: This event is part of a block party featuring food trucks, music, a vintage flea market, and even a bouncy house—all just steps from the store.

Geeks of Color Reading & Open Mic: Geek Sexualities

What: Meetup, Books, Community
When: Saturday, September 14, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Boneshaker Books

The Geeks of Color Reading & Open Mic event series creates a safe space for diverse writers to explore the intersections of their identities and geekdom through writing. Each event kicks off with readings related to the week’s topic from four featured writers of color, followed by a writing prompt and open mic session. This week’s topic is “Geek Sexualities,” highlighting stories of how geekdom has helped writers “embrace their gender identities, gender expressions, orientations, eroticism, and kinks.” While this is a POC-centered space, all are welcome to attend and participate in this free event.

Saturday Night Space Opera: High Adventure Among the Stars

What: Gaming
When: Saturday, September 14, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Source Comics & Games

Local sci-fi RPG night Saturday Night Space Opera returns with galactic escapades. This is your chance to try The Expanse RPG: Beltadowa, based on the popular space-opera novels by James S.A. Corey and the Amazon Prime TV series, and Cypher System: Station 79, Please Respond!, a game that revolves around a rogue research station. This is a free event, all rules will be taught, and no materials are required—just RSVP on the website to snag your spot.

Time Traveler’s Ball

What: Nightlife, Food & Drinks, Music
When: Saturday, September 14, at 9:00 p.m.
Where: Amsterdam Bar & Hall

The Time Traveler’s Ball is a “dance party for all eras” inspired by a Stephen Hawking party experiment. So put on your finest threads from your favorite era, whether that’s Victorian formal wear, disco bell bottoms, or alien couture, and get ready to dance the night away to past and future sounds. Prizes will be awarded for best costumes. Tickets are $10 in advance, or $12 at the door.

MN Toy Posse End of Summer Swap

What: Arts, Community, Family
When: Sunday, September 15, at 9:00 a.m.
Where: Bloomington Knights of Columbus

Seek out vintage and new toys and other plunder to bring back to your home! This event at the Bloomington Knights of Columbus will be a great opportunity to track down rare stuff you might not otherwise find, and get in contact with other toy geeks. There will be over 70 tables worth of goodness.

New Frontier Session

What: Movies, Science & Tech
When: Sunday, September 15, at 9:00 a.m. 
Where: Vandalia Tower Complex: FilmNorth (St. Paul)

Experience a day of virtual-reality screenings, tech demos, and conversations around experimental storytelling and technology. Hosted by the Sundance Institute, this session showcases artists, projects, and concepts from their New Frontier Lab, a series of programs that support and foster creative technologists. This event is free, includes complimentary brunch, and concludes with a reception at Lake Monster Brewing. An RSVP is required and is available on the session website.

Shieldmaiden Sunday

What: Gaming, Meetup
When: Sunday, September 15, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Source Comics & Games

Shieldmaiden Sundays are a dedicated space for female nerds and geeks at Source Comics & Games. This is a recurring weekly event providing a space for women to play games, chat about comics, cosplay, or just enjoy the company of other geeks. See the calendar for more events!

GPS Pirate Cruise 2019

What: Arts, Community, Food & Drink, Music
When: Sunday, September 15, at 5:00 p.m.
Where: St. Croix Boat & Packet Co. 

Set sail with a rowdy pirate crew for a day of adventure on the water, full of entertainment, food and drink, and plunder in the name of the good ship Geek Partnership Society! Dubloons raised in this endeavor will be used to support the mission of Geek Partnership Society, and the many fine programs it runs. Even the lowliest crew on this voyage will have access to a raffle ticket, a photo booth, and adventure on the open water. This is a 21+ event, with a minimum cost of $65 for the Crew Level, $125 for Mates (with access to a tour, cocktails, additional raffle tickets, and other perks), and $900 for Captain Level, which comes with even greater benefits. See the website for more complete details regarding the fundraising tiers.

So, which of these events will you be attending? What events would you like to see featured in the future? Let us know in the comments section below or contact us via email. And don’t forget to add your events to the Twin Cities Geek Community Calendar!