This Week in Geek (3/1/21–3/7/21)

Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, March 1, to Sunday, March 7.

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

PlayAway Games Festival

What: Gaming, Music, Science & Tech, Educational
When: Monday, February 22, through Friday, March 5
Where: Virtual via Zoom, Twitch, and YouTube

The PlayAway Games Festival is exploring games, their adaptations to the pandemic, and how that might impact not only games, but all sectors in the future. Over two weeks, there will be a mix of panels, live music, gameplay, workshops, and a game jam. The keynote speaker is Jane McGonigal. Additional guests and performers include Chipzel, Dan Pinchbeck, Gabriel Elvery, Jon McKellan, Shay Thompson, Tess Tyler, Foxdog Studios, and more. Tickets are pay-what-you-can with no minimum; some workshops have additional fees.

Online Creative Night

What: Arts, Community
When: Monday, March 1, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Google Meet

Let your creativity shine with drawing, painting, crafting, or whatever your heart desires at Creative Night, a weekly event put on by Crafty Geek and the Geek Partnership Society. This is a free event and a great opportunity to work on projects in great company. The three new exhibits are: the Permanent Collections Gallery, Ekaterina Khromin: The Art of Synergism, and Paintings by Geli Korzhev: Soviet Idealist+Iconoclast.

The Museum of Russian Art Virtual Grand Opening

What: Arts
When: Tuesday, March 2, at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

The Museum of Russian Art is hosting a grand-opening event for three new exhibits! During this celebration, attendees will be able to glimpse all three exhibits and celebrate with chief curator Dr. Masha Zavialova, executive director and president Mark J. Meister, and director of public programs Michelle Massey.

Minnesota Zoo Virtual Yoga

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Wednesday, March 3, at 7:45 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Start your morning with yoga at the zoo! Each week the instructor teaches a yoga routine live from different exhibits around the zoo. These classes are appropriate for both beginners and experienced yogis. Each class is $8 for nonmembers, with additional reduced rates available for zoo members or when registering for multiple classes at the same time.

Decolonising the Science Curriculum: Ideas for Biological Sciences

What: Science & Tech, Education
When: Wednesday, March 3, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via streaming video

This seminar series from Liverpool John Moores University focuses on ways to decolonize the curriculum in science education. This week’s event is “Decolonising DNA and Science from an Indigenous Perspective,” focused genomic and data sovereignty and led by Krystal Tsosie, MPH, MA, and a cofounder of the first Indigenous-led biobank for tribes in South Dakota.

Virtual Transmission

What: Music, Nightlife
When: Wednesday, March 3, and Saturday, March 6, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch

The popular Transmission dance night is moving to virtual space every Wednesday and Saturday. DJ Jake Rudh will be bringing New Wave, Alternative, and more ’80s-centric greats to the safety of your homes. So, dance, dance, dance to the Radio (or, in this case, Twitch stream).

Crafty Geek/Make It Sew

What: Arts, Meetup
When: Thursday, March 4, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Google Meet

The Geek Partnership Society’s Crafty Geek club and its subclub Make It Sew meet Thursday evenings on Google Meet and invite you to “bring your crafty stuff to do” (online). This is a great chance to show all your creative pals your in-home crafting space.

GalaxyCon Live

What: Community, Convention
When: Friday, March 5, through Sunday, March 7; various times
Where: Virtual via video chat

GalaxyCon, a convention for fans of various genre properties, will be returning to live virtual events throughout the year. These events are a great way to bring the convention experience home with a mix of free and premium 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 Planet of the Apes, Dr. Stone, and more.

This is Minnesota Orchestra: Television, Radio + Streaming

What: Music
When: Friday, March 5, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via website, Facebook, TPT, and Classical MPR

This Is Minnesota Orchestra is a reimagined concert series for COVID times. These free performances will be livestreamed on their website and Facebook, as well as broadcasted on Twin Cities PBS and Classical MPR. The “Television, Radio + Streaming” show will feature ensembles performing a variety of works, including Prokofiev’s Second Violin Concerto and Jessie Montgomery’s “Source Code and Voodoo Dolls.” Learn more about the series and its upcoming events on the Minnesota Orchestra website.

GPS Charity Auction at MarsCon 2021 online

What: Community, Conventions
When: Saturday, March 6, through Sunday, March 14
Where: Virtual; link to be posted on Facebook

MarsCon is coming online the weekend of March 12! In the lead-up to that weekend of geeky goodness, there will be an online auction to help support geeky community building. The auction opens to MarsCon members on March 6, and to the general public on the March 12.

digital Language Creation Conference

What: Conventions
When: Saturday, March 6, through Sunday, March 14
Where: Virtual via YouTube

The Language Creation Society is hosting an online conference all about conlangs, and it’s all free on the LCS YouTube channel. Check out two days of sessions on language creation and analysis, writing, and even the linguistics of the Legend of Zelda games.

Virtual Musician Appreciation Concert

What: Music
When: Saturday, March 6, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual

Join the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra for their third-annual Musician Appreciation Concert, virtual this year due to the continued pandemic. This virtual night promises a variety of fun events including performances by SPCO musicians, interviews, and more. Expect a variety of classical pieces. Tickets to this event are free, however, donations are strongly appreciated and go to supporting the musicians of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Black Voices in Conversation—A History of Cabaret

What: Music, Education
When: Sunday, March 7, at 2:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual event

Black Voices In Conversation, led by Working in Concert, will be hosting a conversation about the history of Cabaret. Moderator Mark Ruffin will discuss the history of Chicago Cabaret with panelists Dan Johnson, Natalie Douglas, Lynn Colbert-Jones, and Hermene Hartman. This is a great chance to dive into music and history!

Youth Zine Writing Workshop Series

What: Arts, Educational, Family
When: Sunday, March 7, at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Metamorph Mentorship will be hosting a Youth Zine Making Workshop during March and April. These Zoom classes will teach youths from ages 10 to 18 the art of assembling zines (self-published booklets or magazines that are easy to assemble and distribute). This series of classes has a sliding scale for price, and does not require art or writing experience. The March 7 class focuses on the history of zines and DIY.

Daily Events

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 Presents Daily DJ Sets

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 present live DJ sets every day that include popular dance tracks, original music, and community interaction. Noon sets are performed by the duo and guest DJs from around the world. On Tuesday, Sofi Tukker plays an extended evening set. These shows are a great opportunity for a dance break, to interact with other music fans, and see new music evolve before it hits streaming services. 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!