This Week in Geek (11/9/20–11/15/20)

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

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 and drive-through events. 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

Urban Action Showcase Expo

What: Convention
When: Monday, November 9, through Saturday, November 14
Where: Virtual via website and Zoom

The Urban Action Showcase Expo (UASE) is a pop-culture convention that celebrates the multicultural achievements in action media across genres, from martial arts and science fiction to fantasy and grindhouse. UASE will feature panels, cosplay contests, virtual photo shoots, celebrity watch parties, seminars, and an artist alley. Guests include Michael Jai White, Ella Rae Smith, Grand Master Carl Scott, Juju Chan, Jeremy Sample, Lauren Mary Kim, and more. Registration is free and grants access to most of the event. Check the website for a full schedule and premium experience and VIP pricing.

Amazon Prime Video’s Truth Seekers Remote Adventure

What: Movies
When: Monday, November 9, through Wednesday, November 18
Where: Virtual via Prime Video

This virtual escape room experience is presented by Amazon to promote their upcoming streaming series Truth Seekers. See the website for details on how to take part in the game.

Wizard World Virtual Experiences

What: Convention
When: Monday, November 9, through Saturday, November 14; 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. This week, there are events for fans of Bruce Campbell, Power Rangers and more. Additionally, this week will begin with a Veteran’s Day celebration.

Virtual Family Story Time

What: Books, Family
When: Monday, November 9, 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.

Statewide Star Party

What: Educational
When: Monday, November 9, through Saturday, November 14; at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Join the Bell Museum for the second-annual Star Party, this time from the comfort of your home via Zoom. Expect a week full of events with each evening structured around a keynote speaker, digital views from across Minnesota, and tours of the cosmos. See the website for details on individual keynote speakers.

Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting

What: Community
When: Tuesday, November 10, at 4:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook Live

Commemorate the loss of the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald and her 29 crew with this virtual beacon-lighting event. This is a chance to reflect on the loss of lives in Great Lakes shipwrecks (and to be reminded of the excellent Gordon Lightfoot song).

Virtual Queer Book Club: The Deep

What: Books
When: Wednesday, November 11, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Join other book geeks for the Moon Palace Books Virtual Queer Book Club discussion of The Deep, a story of folklore, memory, and Afrofuturism. This event is free and copies of the book are available to purchase online through Moon Palace Books.

Merlins Rest Pub Quiz

What: Trivia
When: Wednesday, November 11, at 7:30 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.

National Air and Space Museum Live Chat: ISS Anniversary

What: Science & Tech
When: Thursday, November 12, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook

Join the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution for a live chat. Ask questions and learn about different topics with subject-matter expert. This month’s talk is focused on the experience of being on the International Space Station, or ISS. Astronaut Kjell Lindgren (who logged 141 days on the station in 2015) will be on deck to answer questions.

ToshoCon

What: Convention
When: Thursday, November 12, through Saturday, November 14
Where: Virtual via Facebook Live

ToshoCon, a convention catering to anime fans, gamers, geeks, steampunks, and K-Pop stans will be returning for a three-day event with virtual events. Come online for panels about fantasy writing, drawing, and some online gaming! Check out the website for details.

YALLWrite

What: Books, Arts
When: Friday, November 13, through Saturday, November 14
Where: Virtual via Livestream

YALLFest is going virtual this year to highlight authors, illustrators, and the whole world of books from a safe distance. This is a great chance to foster connections and inspiration while keeping COVID-19 at bay. There’s a large variety of events and panels, so check the website for details and to find the right events for you.

Adult Swim Festival

What: Comedy & Theater, Music
When: Friday, November 13, through Saturday, November 14
Where: Virtual via YouTube

Adult Swim, the comedy animation powerhouse behind cultural touchstones like Rick & Morty, Tim and Eric Awesome Show—Great Job!, and so much more will be putting on a festival of livestreams. This is a chance to see music from Robyn Presents Club Domo, Mastodon, and Kaytranada. Also expect a variety of livestreams for Adult Swim favorites, including a special stream from Run the Jewels. See the website for more details!

Fire & Ice 2020

What: Community
When: Friday, November 13, at 6:45 p.m.
Where: Virtual

360 Communities, an nonprofit devoted to holistic community building, will be hosting a virtual gala to promote their work! The Fire & Ice Gala is an opportunity to have fun while supporting a great cause! So prepare to get fancy from the safety of your home.

Atlas Obscura: Dino 101—World’s Epic Fights Between Apex Predators

What: Science & Tech, Nightlife
When: Friday, November 13, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Dino 101 is an interactive, socially distanced party for adult dinosaur fans and science fans. This event series is hosted by Dustin Growick from the YouTube channel The Dinosaur Show and features weekly activities like trivia, drawing, scavenger hunts, and games. This week, answer the pressing question of who would win a fight between a cheetah and velociraptor (it’s shocking this was not answered in Animorphs). Tickets are $7.

Drink & Draw—Costumed Model Drawing

What: Arts
When: Saturday, November 14, 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 theme is Hippy Girl with Sawyer Craft.

Women of Broadway: Laura Benanti

What: Music
When: Saturday, November 14, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Livestream

The Hennepin Theatre Trust presents Women of Broadway, a series where Broadway stars hit the virtual stage with a mix of show tunes, pop songs, and life stories. This Saturday’s event features Laura Benanti, perhaps best known for her Tony Award in the category of “Best Featured Actress in a Musical” for the 2008 production of Gypsy—among five career nominations to date. Tickets are $30.

(Virtual) Sundays at Landmark: Let’s Learn About the Apollo 11

What: Educational
When: Sunday, November 15, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via YouTube

Sundays at Landmark, a series of talks presented by the Landmark Center has moved online for safety. This event will feature a presentation by history and science educator Rob Ellos, as he shares all he knows about Apollo 11!

Daily Events

Virtual Owámni Falling Water Festival

What: Educational, Community, Arts, Music
When: Throughout November, various times
Where: Virtual via Youtube, other platforms

The Owámni Falling Water Festival is a yearly event offering opportunities to learn about Dakota and other Indigenous cultures, and share those cultures with the Minnesota community. The festival is named Owámni—“falling water” in the Dakota language—as it normally takes place beside the Mississippi River’s waterfall. However, due to COVID-19, this event is going online, bringing art, music, exhibits, and other partners to a virtual space. See the website for more details.

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.

Alamo Drafthouse OnDemand

What: Movies, Community
When: Daily, various times
Where: Virtual via Scener

The Alamo Drafthouse has taken its curated approach to film online to keep bringing the weird, great, bad, and amazing to the public in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. Check this space for live events like watch parties, exclusive releases, and more (only this time you’ll be required to provide your own snacks and drinks). Check the website for all of the current and upcoming films, events, and prices.

Sofi Tukker Daily DJ Set

What: Music
When: Daily, at 12:00 p.m. and Tuesdays, at 9:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch, Instagram, and Facebook

House-music duo Sofi Tukker go live everyday at noon for a DJ set that includes popular dance tracks, original music, and community interaction. Fans can chat with the band, as well as send in recordings of themselves ahead of time that may be mixed into daily sets. On Tuesdays, Sofi Tukker plays an extended set at 9:00 p.m., and features a guest DJ during the noon time slot. Be advised that the music and hosts are not censored and this may not be the best livestream for younger music fans.

Kidz Bop Daily Dance Break

What: Family, Music
When: Weekdays, at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via YouTube

Get your little ones moving with Kidz Bop’s daily dance break. Every weekday, they’ll be livestreaming a different dance-along video to help kids stay active and burn off some energy.

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.” Check the website for this week’s schedule. Streams will be available for a full 23 hours and can also be accessed through the Met Opera On Demand apps.

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!