This Week in Geek (11/22/21–11/28/21)

Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, November 22, to Sunday, November 28.

Virtual Events

SocietyX: Making a Home for Houseplants

What: Educational
When: Monday, November 22, at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Virtual event

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

How Can Mental Health Charities Harness Technology?

What: Science & Technology, Educational
When: Tuesday, November 23, at 9:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual event

Mental-health nonprofits face a myriad of challenges which have only been exacerbated under recent conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This talk will explore the way that mental-health nonprofits can incorporate technology in order to better serve their communities. Tickets are free for this event, which is primarily aimed at folks in the nonprofit-mental-health space, but may also be of interest to people looking to work in tech.

Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Swamp Ape

What: Educational
When: Tuesday, November 23, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual event

Atlas Obscura’s Monster of the Month series highlights a monster or cryptid every month for a deep dive into the legend. This month, paranormal author and cultural historian Colin Dickey will share the lore surrounding the Swamp Ape, a creature of Florida legend more famous than even the Florida Man. Tickets for this event are $12.

Virtual Transmission

What: Music, Nightlife
When: Wednesday, November 24, and Saturday, November 27, 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).

Twin Cities Geek Art Club

What: Arts
When: Thursday, November 25, and Sunday, November 28, 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, Conventions
When: Saturday, November 27, through Sunday, November 28
Where: Virtual via video chat

GalaxyCon, a convention for fans of various genre properties, is returning to live virtual events throughout the fall. 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 V, Marc Singer (of Beastmaster fame), Doctor Who, and more.

Drink & Draw—Costumed Model Drawing

What: Arts
When: Saturday, November 27, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Gallery Girls is a Los Angeles–based event organizer popular for its themed-drawing nights, often featuring models in fantasy, comic-book, and science-fiction costumes. Now, due to the pandemic, it’s 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 still to be announced as of this column’s release. Discount tickets are available for students and when buying for multiple sessions.

Gentle Yoga for Terrible Times

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Saturday, November 27, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Between the continued global pandemic, distressing news about climate change, and other things in the news, it’s easy to be stressed. This gentle yoga experience aims to help center and calm yourself to move out of the fight-or-flight mode that a distressing world can create. This is a free event and intended to be accessible to all—however, folks are encouraged to donate if they enjoy and have the means.

Octavia E. Butler Slow Read

What: Books
When: Sunday, November 28, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Eventbrite

Join Sistahscifi.com for a slow and luxurious read of legendary, multiple Hugo- and Nebula-award-winning science-fiction writer Octavia E. Butler’s novel, Adulthood Rites. Enjoy a Sunday afternoon of thought-provoking science fiction from one of the genre’s masters. See the event listing for further readings and links to purchase books.

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.

In-Person Events

Please note: Due to risks from the ongoing pandemic, we urge all readers to take appropriate safety measures when choosing to attend in-person events, such as masking, physical distancing, and frequent handwashing. We also urge all eligible Minnesotans to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and to wear a mask in indoor settings even if vaccinated. If you believe you have been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms, please get tested and follow Minnesota state guidelines on isolating from others. See our COVID-19 resources page for more information on vaccination, health and safety, financial and other assistance, and more.

While we cannot guarantee the safety of anyone attending an event we are not affiliated with, our aim is to include only those hosted by groups and venues that list clear, reasonable COVID safety precautions. If you feel something in this column does not meet those criteria, we encourage you to contact us at info@twincitiesgeek.com with your concerns.

Creative Night

What: Arts, Community
When: Monday, November 22, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Event Horizon at the Waterbury Building

This event invites participants to let their creativity shine with drawing, painting, crafting, or whatever their hearts desire at Creative Night, a weekly event put on by Crafty Geek and the Geek Partnership Society. Meet new people, show off your creative side with them, and maybe learn a thing or two.

GPS Figure Drawing Salon

What: Arts, Educational
When: Monday, November 22, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Event Horizon at the Waterbury Building

The Geek Partnership Society’s Arts Initiative hosts a figure-drawing salon at the Waterbury Building on the third Monday of each month. For a $5 fee, attendees can participate in a three-hour drawing session that “will include short, medium, and long poses, which allow artists to engage with the subject in varying ways” and that “will use a combination of nude and costumed models to support and foster fantasy and science-fiction art.” The goal of hosting this event is to “cultivate a community of artists to share ideas, support each other, and create.” This is an 18+ event.

Castle of Cagliostro

What: Movies
When: Wednesday, November 24
Where: Parkway Theater

This your chance to see Hayao Myazaki’s first feature film restored in 4K! This is a Lupin the Third story, focused on a band of thieves, their constant foil (an Interpol officer), and the struggle to free a princess from an evil count. Tickets are $9 in advance or $12 at the door.

Thanksgiving Break History Hijinx: Sinclair Lewis

What: Educational
When: Friday, November 26, and Saturday, November 27, at 11:00 a.m.;  and Sunday, November 28, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Minnesota History Center

Spend your Thanksgiving break enjoying and learning about history with this deep dive into the Sinclair Lewis and 100 Years of Main Street exhibit. This is a chance to enjoy crafts, puzzles, and a special viewing of the video dramatization “Reading Sinclair Lewis: Country, Critiques, City Satires.” The price for this event is the cost of regular admission.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live! Time Bubble Tour

What: Comedy & Theater, Movies
When: Friday, November 26, and Saturday, November 27, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Pantages Theater

See the riffing, robots, and ribaldry live for Mystery Science Theater 3000‘s Time Bubble Tour! This event will be hosted by Emily Connor (Emily Marsh) and feature the familiar bots riffing over the 1985 film Making Contact, a strange pastiche of Steven Spielberg influences with animated toys and weirdness. Tickets start at $39.50.

Toy Story in Concert

What: Music, Movies
When: Saturday, November 27, and Sunday, November 28, at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Orchestra Hall

Come see the Pixar classic Toy Story with the accompaniment of the Minnesota Orchestra in this special two-night event. The film follows the story of sentient toys that awaken when not watched, and their saga. Tickets run from $41 up to $90.

Wondering why we didn’t include your geeky event? We are only including in-person events from organizers and venues with responsible, clearly advertised COVID-19 safety precautions that meet our standards. If you’d like to be considered for future listings, send your safety info to info@twincitiesgeek.com!