This Week in Geek (8/3/20–8/9/20)

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

Please note: Due to risks from the global COVID-19 pandemic, and in following current health guidelines recommending both social distancing and limited travel, this column will exclusively share virtual events that can be enjoyed from the comfort and safety of home. During this time we will be including local, national, and international events, as well as separating them into weekly and daily categories. As time goes on and guidelines change, in-person events may be reintroduced.

One-Time and Weekly Events

Wizard World Virtual Experiences

What: Convention
When: Tuesday, August 4, and Saturday, August 8; various times
Where: Virtual via Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube

If you’re getting stir-crazy, and want to connect with fandoms, Wizard World’s Virtual Experiences may be able to help bring some of the convention experience to the comfort of your home. Check the website for details regarding particular events, but know that they include a free Q&A livestream and additional options for paid experiences. During the week of August 3, there are events related to The Vampire Diaries and LEGO Masters.

Online Board Game Afternoon for Teens

What: Gaming
When: Tuesday, August 4, at 3:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Teens are invited to take part in a weekly Zoom-based board-gaming session put on by the Ramsey County Library. This is a free event intended for teens, and preregistration with an email address is required in order to receive an invite to the Zoom meeting. This is a great opportunity for young board-game geeks to make new friends and try new games during the quarantine.

Atlas Obscura: The Secret Arts: Wild Crochet

What: Educational, Arts
When: Wednesday, August 5, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

The Secret Arts, a new weekly event from Atlas Obscura, delves deep into the hidden knowledge of one particular craft. This week, the host will be meeting with Caitlin McCormack to learn about her crochet sculptures and explore innovations in this historic craft. Tickets are $10.00.

Alex Segura Virtual Event for Poe Dameron: Free Fall

What: Books, Family
When: Wednesday, August 5, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Crowdcast

Learn more about Poe Dameron and his teenage adventures with Alex Segura as he discusses his upcoming Star Wars book, Poe Dameron: Free Fall, with Zoraida Cordova. This event is free, and personalized bookplates are available with a book order from hosting bookstore Mysterious Galaxy.

Merlins Rest Pub Quiz

What: Trivia
When: Wednesday, August 5, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook

Merlins Rest will be presenting its weekly pub quiz via Facebook! Get ready to quiz and have some fun with pals from the safety of your own home. Karina will be running the quiz.

National Air and Space Museum Live Chat

What: Science & Tech, Arts
When: Thursday, August 6
Where: Virtual via Facebook

Join the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution for a live chat with one of their experts every Thursday. Ask questions and learn about different topics with subject-matter experts. This series will continue until the museum reopens; check the Facebook page for up-to-the-minute information.

Fiona Shaw—LINK:UP Q&A

What: Movies, Theater & Comedy
When: Thursday, August 6, at 11:00 a.m. CDT
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Award-winning actress Fiona Shaw is answering questions and providing personal insights about her career and journey. Shaw is best known for her roles in the Harry Potter films and Killing Eve, as well as her extensive work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. Tickets for this event are donation based with a minimum of £1 ($1.31 USD at the time this article was written; additional currency-exchange fees may apply). All donations benefit the Warts and All Theatre and provide disadvantaged youth with access to educational theater programming.

Literature Responds to Crisis: “Black American Writers and the Great Depression”

What: Educational, Books
When: Thursday, August 6, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual; details provided upon registration

The College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota will be running a series of webinars focused on the importance of story and meaning during times of crisis. Each week, they will present “short, sharp segments,” from English professors lasting about 15 minutes. This week’s presentation is “Black American Writers and the Great Depression” from Associate Professor Nathaniel Mills, focusing on how Black writers participated in political activism through literature during the Great Depression.

GalaxyCon Live

What: Community, Conventions
When: Friday, August 7, through Sunday, August 9
Where: Virtual via video chat

GalaxyCon, a convention for fans of various genre properties will be returning to live virtual events throughout the summer. These events are a great way to bring the convention experience home with panels, chats, autographs, virtual shout-outs, and more. Check the website for full details and pricing information, but this week includes events for fans of Invader Zim, Batwoman, Lucifer, Star Trek, Team JNPR, and My Hero Academia.

Family Story Time

What: Books, Family
When: Friday, August 7, at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook

Library story time is live in your home with the Ramsey County Library. Expect story-time staples like colorful picture books, toy props, and large easels for learning fun. Videos of the streams are available for 24 hours, so you can watch it when it works best for your schedule, and have the opportunity to hit repeat on family favorites. Check the Ramsey County Library page for other virtual events as well.

Artist Talk: What Makes a Home?

What: Arts, Community
When: Friday, August 7, at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual; details provided upon registration

CarryOn Homes is an artist collective comprised of immigrants and transplants from five different countries that seeks to create a sense of belonging through their artwork. In this free artist talk, they join the Minneapolis Institute of Art to discuss themes of home, immigration, cross-cultural communication, and serving communities, as well as their installation “Living Room,” currently on display in the museum.

At Home with Literati: John Waters

What: Books, Movies
When: Friday, August 7, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Legendary filmmaker and actor John Waters will be dishing with Michigan-based Literati Bookstore on everything from failing upward in Hollywood, building a perfectly trend-ugly house no one else would live in, to cheating death itself. Tickets are $22.07 (with fees), which includes a shipped copy Waters’s book Mr. Know-It-All.

CatStronauts—Digital Disaster! Book Launch

What: Books, Family
When: Saturday, August 8, at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Celebrate the release of CatStronauts—Digital Disaster! In this sixth installment of the graphic-novel series, the team are testing out the first space hotel, but when the building’s artificial intelligence starts dreaming of freedom, things get a bit hairy. Author and illustrator Drew Brockington, along with CatStronaut Waffles, will be on the free Zoom call answering questions and leading activities.

Drink & Draw—Costumed Model Drawing

What: Arts
When: Saturday, August 8, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Gallery Girls is a Los Angeles-based event organizer popular for their themed drawing nights, often featuring models in fantasy, comic-book, and science-fiction costumes. Now, due to the pandemic, they’ve shifted to online sessions that can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere. Each session is $10 and offers a mix of posing times. Artists of all levels are encouraged to dress up (if they like), grab a drink, and share their work on social media. This week’s costume theme is “Forest Elf” with model Ezra Ruli.

Monsta X Live From Seoul with Luv

What: Music
When: Saturday, August 8, at 10:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via LiveXLive

K-pop superstars Monsta X are hitting the stage for their only livestream concert. The performance will feature music from their 2020 LP All About Love, as well as behind-the-scenes footage. Tickets start at $19.99, with additional ticket options for multi-cam streams and merchandise bundles.

Becki Melvie Presents The Abundant Kitchen Cookbook Virtual Cooking Demo

What: Books, Food & Drink
When: Sunday, August 9, at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook

Get cooking with author, chef, and instructor chef Becki Melvie. During this free event hosted by Magers & Quinn, Melvie will discuss her new book The Abundant Kitchen and provide a live cooking demo of raspberry white-chocolate scones with tea. Viewers can cook along at the same time by requesting a grocery and equipment list.

Antigone in Ferguson

What: Theater & Comedy, Community
When: Sunday, August 9, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Theater of War Productions aims to spark community conversations around complex issues through dramatic readings of influential works from acclaimed actors. Antigone in Ferguson was created after the death of Michael Brown. The collaboration brings together readings from Sophocles’ Antigone with live choral music featuring members of the Ferguson community. Performers include Oscar Isaac, Tracie Thomas, and Ato Blankson-Wood. The show will be followed by a discussion with panelists and the audience. This free performance marks the six-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death and will honor his life, as well as other lives lost to police brutality.

Daily Events

Minnesota Fringe 2020 Virtual Festival

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Nightly, Thursday, July 30, through Sunday, August 9; various times
Where: Virtual; platform varies by performance

The Minnesota Fringe Festival, like many other events set to happen during the current pandemic, is bringing the show online for 11 days of plays, all 60 minutes or less. The variety of great shows from local performers and writers means you should be able to find something to scratch your geeky itch. This year’s inventive offerings include Break the Dice: The Improvised Campaign, Focus Testing, The Mystery of the Gryphon’s Ears, The Cut-Out Bar, TV Tunes with Leslie Vincent, and many more. Nightly shows are free, and additional performances are available with a $5 Fringe button and paid tickets. Check out the website for full details, including a listing of shows, the schedule, and ticket information.

MSP Film Society Virtual Cinema

What: Movies
When: Daily, various times
Where: Virtual via Video Stream

The MSP Film Society is continuing to make independent films available to the community while theaters are closed and under reduced occupancy through their virtual cinema. Check out their website for full details, including current and upcoming films, as well as ticket pricing. This week’s films include Burning Ghost, The Cuban, and My Dog Stupid.

Met Opera Streams

What: Theater & Comedy, Music
When: Daily, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Video Stream

Even though the Metropolitan Opera in New York has gone dark in these challenging times, the show will go on. “Each day, a different encore presentation from the company’s Live in HD series is being made available for free streaming on the Met website.” This week’s performances include The Magic Flute and Madama Butterfly. Streams will be available for a full 23 hours and can also be accessed through the Met Opera On Demand apps.

Get Your Pets

What: Community
When: Daily (most days), at 3:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Instagram

John Hodgman, humorist, writer, actor, and Webby Award-winning podcaster best known for his performances on The Daily Show and performances as “a PC” in Apple advertisements, has been hosting a pet-focused talk show on Instagram Live. On the show, participants will video chat with the host and allow him to chat with their pets.

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!