This Week in Geek (8/29/22–9/4/22)

Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, August 29, to Sunday, September 4.

(Jump to In-Person Events)

Virtual Events

The Radical Agreement Project

What: Comedy & Theater, Educational
When: Monday, August 29, at 3:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Learn a new improv exercise in this series of 30-minute Zoom improv classes. This event is free, but participation is critical, so attendees will be required to turn on their cameras and microphones to join in.

Virtual Pub Quiz Trivia Night

What: Trivia
When: Monday, August 29, 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 Zoo Virtual Yoga

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Wednesday, August 31, 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 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. Sessions are recorded and available to view during the week for those who are unable to tune in live.

Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium Live Stream: Exploring Early Astronomy

What: Educational, Science & Tech
When: Wednesday, August 31, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Facebook Live

Learn about early astronomy and get your space questions answered by staff from the Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium at the University of Minnesota Duluth. This virtual session is free.

Twin Cities Geek Art Club

What: Arts
When: Thursday, September 1, and Sunday, September 4; 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.

Smithsonian Associates Streaming Series—The Medici Villas: Tuscan Inspiration

What: Educational, Arts
When: Friday, September 2, at 12:00 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 14–18th century Medicis, and the way that they used their villas for sport, science, enterprise, and more. General-admission tickets are $25, and a discount is available for members. Check out the streaming-series webpage to see the many other upcoming events this week.

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 government and business policies change frequently and we cannot guarantee the safety of anyone attending an event we are not affiliated with, we do avoid featuring organizers or venues we believe to be following unsafe practices. 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.

Minneapolis Movies in the Parks: Soul

What: Movies, Community, Family
When: Tuesday, August 30, at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park

Enjoy a night of community and movie magic under the stars! Movies start at dusk, and are free and open to the public. Screening this week is Soul, a 2020 Pixar film about a pianist involved in an accident before his big musical break, which seeks to reunite his soul and body . Check out the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board calendar for a complete schedule of Movies in the Parks screenings.

Minneapolis Institute of Art Virtual Public Tours: Inspired by Books

What: Arts
When: Tuesday, August 30, at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Where: Minneapolis Institute of Art

Take a specially curated tour through the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s collection as inspired by books. Each month’s tour will focus on a different book for inspiration, with August exploring The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. Tours meet in the General Mills Lobby on the first floor.

Mystic Dawn/Amtgard: Park Days

What: Gaming, Sports & Fitness
When: Wednesday, August 31, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Oak Grove Park (Brooklyn Park)

Amtgard, a global organization focused on the sport of medieval-fantasy combat, will be hosting a gathering in Oak Grove Park. Participants can take part in glorious quests, battle, and more, all with the use of foam weapons for the sake of safety. Garb is encouraged, but not required, and loaner weapons are available. This is a free-to-play event, but long-term players are expected to support the organization through dues.

Sci-Fi Book Club

What: Books
When: Thursday, September 1, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Nokomis Library

The Nokomis Branch of the Hennepin County Library hosts a monthly science-fiction book club where patrons discuss new and interesting sci fi. Lending copies of the books can be picked up at the information desk of the library. For September, the club will discuss Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.

The Big Lebowski, with Pre-movie Costume Contest

What: Movies
When: Thursday, September 1, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: The Parkway Theater

This is your chance to catch the Coen brothers’ classic tale of mistaken identity, relaxation, bowling, and weirdness at the Parkway. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., with a costume contest starting up at 7:30 p.m., and the film itself at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $9 in advance, or $12 at the door.

Guide to the Gilded Age Tour

What: Educational
When: Friday, September 2, at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Summit Overlook Park

This is your chance to explore Summit Avenue and the Hill District’s southern edge and see the history of the Gilded Age in the buildings. This is a great chance to learn about the architecture, hidden meaning (behind the buttoned-up decorum), and learn of the people working in the background to allow the opulence. This is a 90-minute tour that will cover about 1.3 miles. Tickets are $20.

Scream It Off Screen

What: Movies
When: Friday, September 2, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: The Parkway Theater

Scream It Off Screen is a short-film contest focused on horror with an audience interaction element! Come together and get spooky with other horror nerds in one of the Twin Cities greatest revival theaters. Audiences will cry out “Gong!” or “Let it play!” in order to determine which films will be shown in full. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door.

GPS Open Gaming

What: Gaming, Meetup
When: Saturday, September 3, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Event Horizon at the Waterbury Building

The Geek Partnership Society’s United Geeks of Gaming group offers its Open Gaming session, to which gamers of all ages and abilities are invited in order to “spend the day hanging out with fellow geeks playing, learning, and teaching games.” Attendees are encouraged to bring their favorite board games, card games, and/or role-playing games, but the groups has amassed an impressive library of its own games as well.

Funlab: STEAM for ages 7–11

What: Educational, Science & Tech
When: Saturday, September 3, at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Dayton’s Bluff Library

FunLab is an event for kids 7–11 to learn STEAM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) principles through fun in a drop-in session with crafts, games, projects, experiments, and movies. The event is free, and will serve kids so long as supplies last.

Nature Watching

What: Educational
When: Sunday, September 4, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Fort Snelling State Park

Join the park naturalist for a three-mile guided nature stroll. This is a great chance to get some early September exercise while learning about Minnesota nature. Attendees will meet at the Thomas C. Savage Visitor Center. Check out the event calendar on the Department of Natural Resources website for more outdoor events in state parks throughout Minnesota.

Shieldmaiden Sunday

What: Gaming, Meetup
When: Sunday, September 4, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Source Comics and Games

Shieldmaiden Sundays are a dedicated space for female-identifying (including trans women/femme) and nonbinary nerds and geeks at Source Comics and Games. This is a recurring weekly event providing a space for women to play games, chat about comics, cosplay, or just enjoy the company of other geeks. Be sure to check out the Source calendar for additional events!

Music in the Parks: The Jolly Pops

What: Music, Community, Family
When: Sunday, September 4, at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Lake Harriet Bandshell

Enjoy an afternoon of live music in the park! This week features a performance by the Jolly Pops. Check out the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board calendar for a complete schedule of Music in the Parks performances.

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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!