This Week in Geek (4/26/21–5/2/21)

Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, April 26, to Sunday, May 2.

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

SocietyX: Making a Home for Houseplants

What: Educational
When: Monday, April 26, at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Virtual event

Learn best practices for being a good host to your plant comrades in this class taught by Jocelyn Perez-Blanco. Jocelyn Perez-Blanco is the founder of Herban Garden and an educator, local herbalist, naturalist, conservationist, flower-essence therapist, essential-oil coach, and avid gardener with a background in biology, animal husbandry, ethnobotany, and agriculture.

Online Creative Night

What: Arts, Community
When: Monday, April 26, 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.

Tuesdays with a Scholar

What: Educational
When: Tuesday, April 27, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Join the Ramsey County Library and a guest scholar for an educational dive into their specialty every Tuesday through April. This week, Jeff Blodgett discusses his book Paul Wellstone: Minnesota Populist.

Mary Sharratt presents Revelations, In Conversation with Mary Ann Grossmann

What: Books
When: Tuesday, April 27, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook Live or YouTube

Magers & Quinn will host a conversation between noted historical-fiction author Mary Sharatt and Mary Ann Grossman of the Pioneer Press to present Revelations. Revelations is a novel of historical fiction following a woman’s adventure across medieval Europe and the Near East to find her own path and vocation.

Virtual Art in Bloom 2021

What: Arts
When: Wednesday, April 28, to Sunday, May 2
Where: Virtual event

Virtual Art in Bloom is nothing less than the virtual return of “Mia’s annual floral celebration of creativity and philanthropy.” All events will be virtual this year in order to continue to protect our communities. The highlight events include virtual Floral Interpretations from the Pedestal Floral Artists and Virtual Tours. See the website for more scheduling details.

Minnesota Zoo Virtual Yoga

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Wednesday, April 28, 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 reduced rates available for zoo members or when registering for multiple classes at the same time.

Virtual Transmission

What: Music, Nightlife
When: Wednesday, April 28, and Saturday, May 1, 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).

33rd Annual Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony

What: Books, Nightlife
When: Thursday, April 29, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual event

Minnesota book geeks have the opportunity to witness some of the greatest writers in the state for the 33rd-annual Minnesota Book Awards, a virtual ceremony put on by the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library. Winners from nine categories will be celebrated in an awards ceremony and the annual Kay Sexton award will be presented. Admissions is free, but donations are encouraged.

Twin Cities Geek Art Club

What: Arts
When: Thursday, April 29, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Discord

The Twin Cities Geek art club meets every Thursday evening from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on the Twin Cities Geeks Discord. Hop on voice or video and chat while you create art, then share your finished pieces on the #art-club channel! This event is open to all. You can join by visiting twincitiesgeek.com/discord.

GalaxyCon Live

What: Community, Convention
When: Friday, April 30, through Sunday, May 2; 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 Halloween, Star Wars, and more.

This Is Minnesota Orchestra: Dreams and Discovery

What: Music
When: Friday, April 30, 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 “Dreams and Discovery” show will feature ensembles performing a variety of works that evoke those feelings, including works from Alberga, Stravinsky, and Mozart.

Atlas Obscura: Dino 101—Dinosaur Fashion

What: Nightlife, Science & Tech, Arts
When: Friday, April 30, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Dino 101 is an interactive, socially distanced party for adult dinosaur 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, dive into dino-inspired fashion with host of Brain Craft and Sleeping With Friends, Vanessa Hill. Tickets are $7–10.

Saturday 1st May—(Heavy) Metal Vinyasa Yoga

What: Sports & Fitness, Music
When: Saturday, May 1, at 7:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Begin your weekend with an hour of vinyasa yoga, accompanied by heavy metal. This class will be focused on exploration instead of performance, but does assume some background in yoga. The organizer will send metal playlists to attendees. This is a free event, but donations are appreciated; see the listing for details.

Sunday Showing 2: Spin-Off Night

What: Arts
When: Sunday, May 2, at 1:15 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom and Discord

The University of York’s Doctor Who Society will be hosting a viewing party for spinoffs of the Doctor’s adventures. This week will include the Torchwood episode “Combat,” and The Sarah Jane Adventures’ episode “The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith.” Zoom links will be posted in the community Discord; direct message the event hosts to get an invite.

Profs & Pints: Pets of the Presidents

What: Educational
When: Sunday, May 2, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Crowdcast

The Profs & Pints series continues with “Pets of the Presidents.” Learn all about the infamous lives of the most important residents of the White House—presidential pets. This talk will be led by Edward Lengel, former chief historian of the White House Historical Association. Tickets are $12.

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: Community, Movies
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 or guest DJs from around the world. On Tuesdays, 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: Music, Theater & Comedy
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!