This Week in Geek (8/12/2024–8/18/2024)

Jump to:
In-Person Events
Virtual Events

Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, August 12, to Sunday, August 18.

Although inclusion in This Week in Geek is not an official endorsement of any event or organizer, we do our best to feature events that appear safe, responsible, and consistent with our mission and values. If you feel that one of the events below is incompatible with Twin Cities Geek as an organization, we encourage you to contact us at info@twincitiesgeek.com with your concerns.

In-Person Events

Little Shop of Horrors

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Now through Sunday, August 18
Where: Guthrie Theater

Science fiction, Motown music, and comedic horror come together on the Guthrie stage in their production of the cult classic Little Shop of Horrors. The story follows a nerdy florist who improves his life with a little help from a plant named Audrey II, but things get tricky when he discovers that it needs fresh blood to continue growing. Tickets start at $34.

The Pickup Truck Opera: Faust

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Now, through Sunday, September 15
Where: Various venues

Opera hits the road in a blue pickup truck with a traveling performance of Faust. This show is a futuristic adaptation of Charles Gounod’s 1859 opera and will feature the new-wave music of Depeche Mode. All performances will be held outdoors in natural spaces throughout the state and ingeniously use the truck and trailer as a stage. See the website for a full schedule, including the different locations.

Music in the Parks: Finick

What: Music, Community, Family
When: Monday, August 12, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Loring Park

Enjoy an evening of the Music in the Parks with a performance by Finick, a singer-songwriter of indie-folk music. This event is free. Check out the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board calendar for a complete schedule of Music in the Parks performances.

Game Night at Roxy’s Cabaret

What: Gaming
When: Wednesday, August 14, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Roxy’s Cabaret

Enjoy a night of games, drinks, and friendly competition every Wednesday night at Roxy’s Cabaret! They’ll have a variety of tabletop and card games available, including traditional game-night classics and modern hits, as well as Mario Kart up on the big LED wall. Attendees are also welcome to bring along their favorite games to play.

The 370 Sets—Thursday Happy Hour Free Music Series

What: Music, Food & Drink, Community
When: Thursday, August 15, at 4:00 p.m.
Where: Osborn370 Patio

This weekly event presented by the St. Paul Downtown Alliance features free music and drinks on the Osborn370 patio in Downtown St. Paul. This week’s performer is Colin Bracewell.

History Cruise with a National Park Service Ranger

What: Educational
When: Thursday, August 15, at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Magnolia Blossom

Enjoy a riverboat cruise on the mighty Mississippi River under the guidance of the National Park Service and guest speaker Barry Hand, a Dakota language instructor and and program director for Owámniyomni Okhódayapi, to learn Dakota lifeways. Tickets are $35 for non-members and $30 for members.

Lowertown Sounds: Flamin’ Oh’s and Pullstring

What: Music, Community
When: Thursday, August 15, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Mears Park

Lowertown Sounds is bringing local music, food trucks, and Minnesota-made brews to Mears Park for free all summer long! This week features performances by Flamin’ Oh’s and Pullstring. Check out the event listing for the food-truck lineup and upcoming performances.

D&D One-Shot Night

What: Gaming
When: Thursday, August 15, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Dreamers Vault Games

This beginner-friendly event is a great way to experience Dungeons & Dragons in a bite-size format. This will be a self-contained session of the game. Tickets are $5 per session.

Make a Scene!

What: Comedy and Theater, Gaming
When: Friday, August 16, to Sunday, August 18
Where: Minneapolis Center For Performing Arts

Make a Scene is a Twin Cities–based scenario festival exploring in person narrative games and a celebration of creativity. The festival focuses on three main principles: Bringing People Together, Bringing Stories to Life, and Bringing Hearts to Mind. There will be a variety of Welcome to This Week in Geek, your guide to events of interest to the Minnesota geek community for the week of Monday, August 12, to Sunday, August 18. Planned and pick-up-and-play scenarios throughout the event. Weekend registration is closed, however there are limited walk-in spots for $25 per slot.

Pryes Summer—A Weekend Music Festival

What: Music, Food & Drink, Nightlife
When: Friday August 16, and Saturday, August 17
Where: Pryes Brewing Co.

Celebrate summer with this outdoor music festival at Pryes along the scenic West River Road in Minneapolis. This is a chance to see a great lineup of bands, and enjoy great food and beer. Tickets are $12.

Mystery on the Mississippi

What: Theater and Comedy
When: Friday, August 16; Various Times
Where: Crosby Farm Regional Park

This immersive murder mystery theatrical experience digs into legends of the Mississippi River through the framework of a podcast about mythical monsters. This is your chance to explore Crosby Farm while taking in bits and pieces of the mystery, as brough to life by Fearless Comedy Productions. Tickets are $30 for members, and $35 for non-members.

Minneapolis Movies in the Parks: Barbie

What: Movies, Community
When: Friday, August 16, at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Lake Nokomis, Main Beach

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 Barbie. Check out the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board calendar for a complete schedule of Movies in the Parks screenings.

ToshoCon 2024

What: Convention
When: Saturday, August 17, at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Arlington Hills Community Center

ToshoCon is a free one-day convention focused on anime, cosplay, and East Asian pop culture held at Arlington Hills Community Center. This event will feature a cosplay contest, manga lounge, K-pop dancing, geeky crafts, gaming, art, and more.

Greenharbor LARP Amtgard Outdoor Park Day

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Saturday, August 17, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: River Park (Brooklyn Park)

Play games and face off in battle with other live-action roleplay (LARP) enthusiasts. This free event is hosted by Greenharbor LARP, a local chapter of the global medieval-fantasy combat LARP organization Amtgard. New players are encouraged and all equipment is provided for free.

Shieldmaiden Sunday

What: Gaming, Meetup
When: Sunday, August 18, 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!

Summer Craft Fair at Boom Island Brewing

What: Arts, Community
When: Sunday, August 18 at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Boom Island Brewing Co.

Enjoy a wide variety of crafty vendors at this craft fair hosted by Boom Island Brewing. Expect candles, laser engravings, geeky themes, knitted goods, and more.

(Jump to Top)

Virtual Events

Virtual Pub Quiz Trivia Night

What: Trivia
When: Monday, August 12, at 7:00 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!

Free Virtual Yoga at Union Depot

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Tuesday, August 13, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Get your yoga mat and water ready for a free yoga class streamed from the beautiful Union Depot in St. Paul. This event is taught by Studio 9-to-5. See the event page on the Union Depot website for more info, as well as additional in-person yoga events.

Smithsonian Associates Streaming Series–The Maya of Yucatan: Ancient Monuments, Modern Lives

What: Educational
When: Tuesday, August 13, at 5:30 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 Yucatan sites of the Maya, and the persistence of the culture through colonialism to the modern day. General-admission tickets are $35, and a discount is available for members. Check out the streaming series webpage to see the many other upcoming events this week.

Minnesota Zoo Virtual Yoga

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Wednesday, August 14, 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. Classes are $15 each 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.

Twin Cities Geek Art Club

What: Arts
When: Wednesday, August 14, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Discord

The Twin Cities Geek art club meets every Wednesday 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.

Weird & Wonderful Wednesday Watchalongs

What: Movies
When: Wednesday, August 14, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Discord

Enjoy a free screening of an obscure film with Miss Emmy Martian and other cinephiles on Discord every Wednesday night.

Science Storytime

What: Family, Books, Science & Tech
When: Thursday, August 15, at 9:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Join WonderLab for a virtual story time featuring children’s picture books that support STEM skills, scientific concepts, and experimentation. This program is free and geared towards children 3–6 years old.

(Jump to Top)

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!