This Week in Geek (12/6/21–12/12/21)

Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, December 6, to Sunday, December 12.

Virtual Events

SocietyX: Making a Home for Houseplants

What: Educational
When: Monday, December 6, 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.

Geeks Read Book Discussion

What: Books
When: Tuesday, December 7, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Discord

Geeks Read, from Geek Partnership Society, is a club for folks who want to explore horror, science fiction, and fantasy fiction with monthly meetings. Social time typically runs from 7:00 to 7:30, followed by discussion of the book at 7:30. December’s selection is Hilda and the Hidden People, by Stephen Davies and Luke Pearson.

Sci-Fi Panel with Jennie Goloboy, A.J. Hackwith, John Appel, and Amber Bird

What: Books
When: Wednesday, December 8, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual event

This virtual panel is a great chance to hear from four sci-fi/fantasy authors about their recent releases. Magers & Quinn organized this event featuring Jennie Goloboy, A.J. Hackwith, John Appel, and Amber Bird, discussing their newest works: Obviously Aliens, God of Lost Words, Assassin’s Orbit, and Peace State—books that run the gamut from fantasy to sci-fi political intrigue.

Virtual Transmission

What: Music, Nightlife
When: Wednesday, December 8, and Saturday, December 11, 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, December 9, and Sunday, December 12, 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.

Reverend Matt’s Monster Science: A Memoir of Mammoths and Mastodons

What: Comedy & Theater, Educational
When: Thursday, December 9, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch

Reverend Matt’s Monster Science is a recurring comedic-lecture series that focuses on monsters. This week’s free livestream explores elephants, from what we know of their prehistory, to the wild human misunderstanding of what their deal is, and fictional elephant monsters.

GalaxyCon Live

What: Community, Conventions
When: Friday, December 10, through Sunday, December 12
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 Futurama, Don Bluth, and more.

Paint Your Own Alebrije with Puech Ikots’ Carlos Orozco

What: Arts
When: Friday, December 10, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual event

Join this virtual event for instructions on painting your own hand-carved alebrije, with instruction from master artist and Indigenous activist Carlos Orozco. Copal-wood alebrijes are a traditional art form, recently popularized in the film Coco. Attendees are encouraged to order ahead and paint along at home—or to just observe and learn.

Minneapolis Institute of Art Virtual Public Tours: Current Conversations

What: Arts
When: Saturday, December 11, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Take a specially curated tour through the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s collection. Each month’s tour will focus on a different topic, with December exploring “Winter Solstice Stories.” Tours are free, but registration is required.

Drink & Draw—Costumed Model Drawing

What: Arts
When: Saturday, December 11, 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 “Mucha’s Winter Women” with Marissa Gomez & Jennifer Fabos Patton. Discount tickets are available for students and when buying for multiple sessions.

Gentle Yoga for Terrible Times

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Saturday, December 11, 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.

Smithsonian Associates Streaming Series–The Everglades and Beyond: Florida’s Natural Treasures

What: Educational
When: Sunday, December 12, at 5:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

The Smithsonian Institution, home to famed museums and world-class research centers, is bringing educational programs and art courses online for all to enjoy. At this event, learn about the fascinating natural world of the Everglades, and its unique geography. General admission tickets are $30, and there is a discount for members. Check out the website for more about the streaming series and to see the many other upcoming events this week, including topics on art, history, and more.

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.

GLOW Holiday Festival

What: Community, Arts
When: Thursday, November 18, through Sunday, January 2; various times
Where: Minnesota State Fairgrounds

Glow it up with a festival of lights at the State Fairgrounds! This outdoor event features holiday lights, themed displays, tasty treats, art installations, a maze, bonfires, and more. Adult tickets are $20.75, with lower rates for kids and additional options for VIP. Some attractions have additional fees, including the Sky Glider, big slide, and trolley rides. Each night of the event also supports a different charity, with $1 of each ticket being donated. Learn more about the event and charities at their website.

Gingerbread Wonderland

What: Arts, Community
When: Tuesday, November 23, through Friday, December 31
Where: Norway House

The annual Gingerbread Wonderland is a gallery collection featuring cookie recreations of famous locations in Minnesota, fairytales, and beyond by local bakers of all ages and skill levels. Tickets are $7 and visitors are highly encouraged to make a reservation to avoid wait times with their reduced gallery capacity.

Christmas in Color Animated Light Show

What: Community, Arts
When: Friday, November 26, through Sunday, January 2; various times
Where: Valleyfair Parking Lot

Millions of holiday lights come to life every night at Valleyfair. This drive-through experience features illuminated tunnels, animated characters, and seasonal favorites all timed to music that plays through car radios. Tickets start at $35 per vehicle, with a portion of proceeds benefitting the Minnesota chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Nature Illuminated

What: Community, Arts, Educational
When: Thursday, December 2, through Sunday, January 16; various times
Where: Minnesota Zoo

Enjoy the beauty of larger-than-life animal art installations and light shows at the Minnesota Zoo! This popular drive-through event returns for a second year, along with a new outdoor walking-trail experience that opens on January 6. Driving-tour tickets are $35–60 per vehicle and walking-experience tickets are $14–20 per person, both of which have discounts available for zoo members.

Crafty Geek/Make It Sew

What: Arts, Community
When: Thursday, December 2, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Geek Partnership Society and virtual via Google Meet

The Geek Partnership Society’s Crafty Geek club and its subclub Make It Sew meet Thursday evenings at the Waterbury Building and invite you to “bring your crafty stuff to do” and “chat with other geeks!”

Droid December

What: Arts, Educational, Science & Technology
When: Saturday, December 11, and Sunday, December 12, at 11:00 a.m.
Where: The Bakken Museum

Droid enthusiasts are in luck with this event at the Bakken, celebrating robots and tech inspired by sci fi! This is a great chance to partake in a number of droid-focused activities, including an Art-Bot, Droid Noise, a Droid Scavenger Hunt, Stop-Motion Animation, and a Trench Run (using a remote-controlled droid to avoid obstacles). Cost is included with general admission.

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!