This Week in Geek (3/21/22–3/27/22)

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

Virtual Events

SocietyX: Making a Home for Houseplants

What: Educational
When: Monday, March 21, 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.

Como Live!

What: Educational, Family
When: Monday, March 21, and Thursday, March 24, at 1:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook

Tune in twice-weekly for short, educational talks from the zookeepers and gardeners at Como Zoo! Each broadcast features a different topic, including animal profiles, virtual walkthroughs, exhibit previews, and, of course, birthday celebrations for their animal residents. These talks are free and video recordings are available afterwards to watch anytime.

Virtual Pub Quiz Trivia Night

What: Trivia
When: Monday, March 21, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch

Get your trivia on from the comfort of home with Geeks Who Drink’s online trivia night. Prove your mettle, and maybe learn a little something! Watch for other Monday night virtual pub trivia events going forward.

Minnesota Night Skies in April

What: Educational, Science & Tech
When: Tuesday, March 22, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook

The Bell Museum will be hosting this Facebook Live event focused on the wonders of April nights in the great state of Minnesota. Planetarium educators will be present to answer your questions regarding the starry night (including seasonal constellations, the moon, and visible planets). Be sure to visit the website to download a free guide that includes a current star map and dates of upcoming phenomena, like astronomical conjunctions, meteor showers, and more.

Guided Watercolour—Weekly Art Class

What: Arts
When: Tuesday, March 22, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Express yourself on a winter’s Tuesday under the guidance of Cathy Wild in this guided watercolors class. Check the event posting for detailed basic-materials recommendations.

Tuesdays with a Scholar

What: Educational
When: Tuesday, March 22, at 12:30 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, Curt Brow will discuss and celebrate “400 Weeks of MN History.”

Talk of the Stacks: Kaitlyn Greenidge in Conversation with Lissa Jones

What: Books
When: Tuesday, March 22 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Talk of the Stacks is a free and open event that brings speakers to the (virtual) library. This month’s guest is author and features director at Harper’s Bazaar, Kaitlyn Greenidge. Her debut novel, We Love You, Charlie Freeman, won the the Whiting Award for debut fiction, and was included in the New York Times Critic’s Top 10 Books of 2016 list. A Q&A session will follow the talk.

Virtual Transmission

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

Samuel R. Delany

What: Books
When: Thursday, March 24, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Crowdcast

Rain Taxi presents acclaimed science-fiction author Samuel R. Delany in conversation with historian and writer Lavelle Porter, broadcast live from the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference. Delany’s works include Babel-17, Dahlgren, Nova, The Motion of Light in Water, and many, many more. His latest releases are Occasional Views Volume I and Volume II, which are collections of essays that explore art, race, sexuality, literature, and power. This event is free, but registration is required.

Smithsonian Associates Streaming Series–Brain Training for Everyone

What: Educational, Arts
When: Thursday, March 24, at 6:45 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, get your mind working with interactive creative-thinking exercises and learn some everyday brain-building techniques. This talk will be led by author and crossword editor Stanley Newman. General-admission tickets are $25, with discounts available for members.

Check out the streaming series webpage to see the many other upcoming events this week, including topics on art history, the Oscars, and cooking with a wok.

Twin Cities Geek Art Club

What: Arts
When: Thursday, March 24, and Sunday, March 27, 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.

Rad Women: Queens of Vinyl Listening Party

What: Music
When: Thursday, March 24, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual; details provided upon registration

Vinyl Revival is an event series hosted by the Hennepin County Library that shines a light on their vinyl-music collection through performances, listening parties, discussions, and artist residencies. This installment celebrates Women’s History Month by spinning an eclectic mix of tunes performed by rad women.

Recreating Ancient Recipes, with Vacation with an Artist (VAWAA)

What: Educational, Food & Drink
When: Sunday, March 27, at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

This is the first part of a three-part educational series focused on teaching cuisines of the ancient world. Connect to people of more than 100 generations past by preparing their recipes. This three-part series is part of the Vacation with an Artist series, and led by archeologist and culinary historian Ursula Jansen. The first week’s lesson will focus on Babylonian cuisine, specifically fowl pie and mersu. Later weeks will cover food from Ancient Rome, and the middle ages in the Mediterranean. Tickets for the entire series are $205, but there are options available for those who cannot afford the full ticket price—see the site for more details.

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 the 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.

The Tempest

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Thursday, March 3, through Saturday, April 16
Where: Guthrie Theater

See the Guthrie’s performance of the Shakespeare classic The Tempest. The story follows Prospera on a quest to reclaim her throne and exact revenge with the aid of her magical powers after being usurped and stranded on an island with her daughter. Tickets are $26–80.

Curling Legend and Minnesota Native John Shuster

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Wednesday, March 23, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Parkway Theater

Olympic curling gold medalist John Schuster joins former KARE 11 sports anchor Dave Schwartz for a conversation about his career, what it’s like at the Olympics, and the great sport of curling. He’ll also be bringing along his Olympic medals, ceremony jackets, and uniform for folks to see up close in person. Tickets are $25 for general admission, with lower rates available for kids.

Haunting the Suburbs: Suburbia in American Horror Films

What: Movies
When: Thursday, March 24, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Hennepin History Museum

The horror genre has taken the suburbs from American Dream down to a land where nightmares lurk behind idyllic façades. Join film expert Alex Weston in exploring the scary movies set in suburbia made from the 1950s through today. This event is free.

Urban Stargazing

What: Science & Tech, Educational, Family
When: Friday, March 25, at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Wood Lake Nature Center (Richfield)

Turn your eyes to the skies for some urban stargazing and an evening walk! Starry Skies North will be hosting this free, family-friendly event, as well as discussing light pollution, how it impacts our local wildlife, and how it all relates to health and economic outlooks. Registration is required.

Spotlight Science: Water

What: Science & Tech
When: Saturday, March 26, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Bell Museum

Spotlight Science is an event series that brings the current science happening at the University of Minnesota to the community with interactive experiences and special guests. This month’s topic is all about water, featuring the “We Are Water Minnesota” traveling exhibit, demonstrations on how road salt impacts aquatic ecosystems, a hands-on project making non-toxic household cleaners, and how to get involved with protecting our shorelines. This event is included with regular admission; adult general admission is $12 and there are multiple offerings for reduced rates. The planetarium will also feature special showings of Minnesota Water Stories, which can be viewed with an additional planetarium ticket.

Hear Her Stories: A Women’s History Month Celebration

What: Community, Educational
When: Saturday, March 26, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Mill City Museum

Celebrate Women’s History Month with a night of true stories inspired by women of the past. Featured storytellers include Iris Altamirano, Christine Jenkins, Carol McCormick, Dawn Tomlinson, Wisdom Young, and more. This event is hosted by Jen Scott and presented by Mill City Museum and Story Arts of Minnesota. General admission tickets are $12, with discounts available for children, seniors, students, and museum members.

Transvestite Soup Presents The Rocky Horror Picture Show

What: Film, Theater & Comedy
When: Saturday, March 26, at 11:30 p.m.
Where: Parkway Theater

Watch a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the “longest-running midnight movie of all time.” Transvestite Soup is the Twin Cities’ shadow cast for the showings, performing for your pleasure as part of the cult classic’s well-established tradition. Doors open at 11:30 p.m. and tickets are $10.

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!