This Week in Geek (2/3/2020–2/9/2020)

Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, February 3, to Sunday, February 9.

Ice Castles

What: Arts, Family
When: Monday, February 3, through Monday, February 17; various times
Where: Long Lake Regional Park (New Brighton)

Embrace winter and explore the frozen wonderland of the Ice Castles. This annual attraction created by “professional ice artisans” features ice tunnels, slides, crawl spaces, and fountains. Attendees are welcome to dress in costumes and do photo shoots, but be sure to check the FAQs for their guidelines. Ice Castles opens at 4:00 p.m. on weeknights and at 12:00 p.m. on weekends. Tickets are $9.99–$22.

Twin Cities Monday Night Backgammon

What: Gaming
When: Monday, February 3, 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, February 3, 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 new people, show off your creative side with them, and maybe learn a thing or two.

Monday Night Pinball League

What: Gaming, Food & Drink
When: Monday, February 3, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Surly Pizza Upstairs

Come play some silverball with fun folks at Surly, enjoy some pizza, have a beer, and cool your heels on a Monday night. This pinball league will meet Mondays, and is open to participants regardless of their pinball skill—you don’t have to be a pinball wizard to have fun. There will be prizes for top scores, and a points-based skill level. Thanks to Surly’s collaboration with Tilt Pinball bar, they’ll have a number of pinball machines, including a Star Trek: The Next Generation machine.

Once On This Island

What: Theater & Comedy, Music
When: Tuesday, February 4, through Sunday, February 9; various times
Where: The Ordway

Once On This Island is the story of Ti Moune, a peasant girl who risks everything on her journey to reunite with her love and gets a little help from the island gods on the way. This Broadway musical offers a unique opportunity to be part of the show and have the action happen around you with onstage seating. Arrive early to explore an installation of “imaginative musical instruments and sonic sculptures,” as well as performances by Douglas Ewart. Tickets are $25–$117, including fees.

Blue Man Group

What: Music, Theater & Comedy
When: Tuesday, February 4, through Monday, February 10; various times
Where: State Theater

The Blue Man Group brings their iconic blend of music, art, audience interaction, and absurdist humor to Minneapolis on their latest tour featuring brand-new music. Showtimes vary, but include both evenings and weekend matinees. ASL interpretation and audio description are available during select shows. Tickets are $40–$126.

Anime-Zing: Promare (Subtitled)

What: Movies
When: Tuesday, February 4, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Alamo Drafthouse Twin Cities

Anime-Zing is a film-screening series featuring amazing anime from the archives to current releases. Promare is the “first feature-length film from the acclaimed Studio Trigger,” best known for their well-loved series GURREN LAGANN and Kill la Kill. In the world of Promare, some humans mutated the ability to wield fire. Those who didn’t, took control. That all comes into conflict when firefighter Galo discovers that the social system and widely held beliefs aren’t what they seem.

Pokémon Go Trainer Tuesdays at Parkway Pizza

What: Gaming, Food & Drink
When: Tuesday, February 4, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Parkway Pizza

A trainer strives to catch them all, and gain prowess and respect. This weekly event at Parkway Pizza is an opportunity to catch fun drink and food specials, meet other aspiring trainers, and square off against worthy opponents to win status and power. You can and will win, even if winning may just mean having a good time meeting other pocket-monster fans.

Mystic Dawn/Amtgard: Park Days

What: Gaming, Sports & Fitness
When: Wednesday, February 5, 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.

Crafty Geek/Make It Sew

What: Arts, Meetup
When: Thursday, February 6, 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!”

Late Night at the Parkway: The Blair Witch Project

What: Movies
When: Friday, February 7, at 11:00 p.m.
Where: Parkway Theater

Relive the 1999 film phenomenon that kick started the found-footage craze and had the world convinced that the legendary Blair Witch was really stalking the woods in Maine. Tickets are $6 in advance or $8 at the door.

Tech Fest

What: Science & Tech, Educational, Family
When: Saturday, February 8, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: The Works Museum

Kids and their families can get hands-on with engineering and learn from the experts during Tech Fest at the Works Museum. Activity topics include programming, solar energy, robots, biomedical engineering, and more. Tickets are $9 in advance or $12 at the door. Museum members can attend for free.

Boneshaker Science Book Club: Weapons of Math Destruction

What: Books, Meetup
When: Saturday, February 8, at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Boneshaker Books

The Boneshaker Science Book Club meets monthly to discuss science-related reads that are accessible to those without an academic background. This month’s book is Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil, which explores the “dark side of data” and the algorithms that increasingly affect our lives, from car loans and health costs to the schools we attend. This event is free and open to the public. The book is available for purchase at Boneshaker Books at a discounted rate or for checkout at the Hennepin County Library.

Weekly Comics Chat

What: Comics, Meetup
When: Saturday, February 8, at 3:00 p.m.
Where: Midtown Global Market

The Girls Only Comic Club hosts a Weekly Comics Chat on Saturday afternoons where there will be shared opinions, drinks, and fries for comics fans. Additional information about this event is posted on the Girls Only Comic Club’s Facebook group. Individuals interested in attending are encouraged to join.

HyperDot Launch Party

What: Gaming
When: Saturday, February 8, at 5:00 p.m.
Where: Green Lantern Cocktails + Music

Celebrate the launch of HyperDot, an action arcade-video game all about dodging from Tribe Games and GLITCH. Play the game, hear behind-the-scenes details about its development, and sip on themed cocktails. VIP happy hour is from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with tickets at $48.37 (including fees) which come with drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and a first look at Dodging Through Time, a HyperDot exhibition. General admission starts at 7:00 p.m. and is free.

Shieldmaiden Sunday

What: Gaming, Meetup
When: Sunday, February 9, 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!

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!