This Week in Geek (6/21/21–6/27/21)

Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, June 21, to Sunday, June 27.

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

Steam Next Fest

What: Gaming
When: Wednesday, June 16, through Tuesday, June 22
Where: Virtual via Steam

Discover new games through a week of developer livestreams and playable demos. Featured games span several genres and also include virtual-reality titles. This event is free, but will require a free Steam account in order to play the demos.

Live Human Cadaver Dissection

What: Educational
When: Monday, June 21, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

The Healthcare Innovation and Sciences Centre in Texas presents an opportunity to witness a human cadaver dissection. This is a great experience for folks who want a strong understanding of human anatomy and physiology, or those interested in a healthcare career.

Online Creative Night

What: Arts, Community
When: Monday, June 21, 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, June 22, 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. This week, Deirdre Fishel will discuss: “Women in Blue: Race and Gender in the Minneapolis Police Dept.”

Minnesota Zoo Virtual Yoga

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Wednesday, June 23, 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.

Teaching with Science Fiction: A Conversation with Andy Weir

What: Educational, Books
When: Wednesday, June 23, at 5:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via YouTube

Andy Weir, best known for The Martian, will discuss his new book Project Hail Mary, along with general thoughts about the process of writing science fiction. This is a free live event through YouTube Live. There will be a chance for viewers to ask questions to dive into the importance of using science fiction in teaching.

Virtual Transmission

What: Music, Nightlife
When: Wednesday, June 23, and Saturday, June 26, 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).

Pride in Writing 2021: LGBTQ+ History

What: Books, Community
When: Thursday, June 24, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual; details provided upon registration

Authors Julie Cohen, Robert Jones, Jr., and Jenn Shapland will be discussing queer history, including hidden truths from ages past. This free event is part of Hachette’s month-long Pride in Writing series that highlights LGBTQ+ authors and their stories.

Twin Cities Geek Art Club

What: Arts
When: Thursday, June 24, 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.

Profs & Pints: What Dreams Are Made Of

What: Educational
When: Friday, June 25, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Crowdcast

The Profs & Pints series continues with “What Dreams Are Made Of.” Learn about dreams and the latest research on how and why they function. This talk will be led by Antonio Zadra, professor of psychology at the Université de Montréal, researcher at the Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, and coauthor of When Brains Dream: Exploring the Science and Mystery of Sleep. Tickets are $12.

This Is Minnesota Orchestra: A Summer Prelude

What: Music
When: Friday, June 25, 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 “A Summer Prelude” show will feature ensembles performing a variety of works that evoke those feelings, including works from Coleridge-Taylor, Weill, and Vänskä.

Union Depot Drive-In Movies: Jurassic Park

What: Movies
When: Friday, June 25, at 9:15 p.m.
Where: Union Depot Lot D

Enjoy warm summer nights with a monthly drive-in movie experience at St. Paul’s Union Depot. Movies will be presented drive-in style, with concessions available and QR code-based quizzes to go along with the film. The June film is Jurassic Park, the ’90s Spielberg classic with cloned dinosaurs and a perfect storm of dissatisfied IT staff, bad management, and nature coming together to wreak havoc.

GalaxyCon Live

What: Community, Convention
When: Saturday, June 26, through Sunday, June 26; 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 Star Trek, Reign, Stargate, and more.

Drink & Draw—Costumed Model Drawing

What: Arts
When: Saturday, June 26, 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 “MAJOR BLUSTER,” with Jonnathon Cripple.

June Audiobook Club: Sour Hall

What: Books
When: Sunday, June 27, at 10:00 a.m. CDT
Where: Virtual event

Audiobook Club, a monthly podcast based on conversations centered around audiobooks, will be discussing Sour Hall by Laura Kirwan-Ashman, a podcast series based on a short story but using 360-degree audio to add to the ambience. The goal of Audiobook Club is to share thoughts and opinions, ask questions, be respectfully challenged, and learn.

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!