This Week in Geek (6/29/2026–7/5/2026)

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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, June 29, to Sunday, July 5.

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

Shakespeare in Our Parks: The Tempest

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Now through Sunday, July 12
Where: Various venues

The Classical Actors Ensemble is back for its 12th summer of Shakespeare in Our Parks. This year the group is performing The Tempest, a tale where an exiled mage shipwrecks his enemies within his domain and must choose between exacting revenge or seeking redemption. These events are free and are performed at different parks throughout the state. Check out the website for the full list of performances, including locations and times. (Read: “Classical Actors Ensemble’s ‘The Tempest’ Contends with Moral Ambivalence”)

Minecraft History Project Documentary Showing

What: Community
When: Monday, June 29, at 4:00 p.m.
Where: 825 Arts

Interns and elders have come together at 825 Arts to share stories about the history of the Rondo and Frogtown neighborhoods in St. Paul through models in Minecraft. This documentary chronicles the project and creation process. Catch the inaugural screening, ask questions, and enjoy some tasty bites.

Free Yoga at Union Depot

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Monday, June 29, and Wednesday, July 1, at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Union Depot

Get your yoga mat and water ready for a free yoga class at the beautiful Union Depot in St. Paul. This event is taught by Studio 9-to-5 in the Depot’s Waiting Room or in the East Plaza when the weather is nice. Monday’s class focuses on a total-body sculpt workout, while Wednesday’s class is less-intense general yoga for all levels. See the event page on the Union Depot website for more information.

Music in the Parks: SeaWeeds

What: Music, Community
When: Monday, June 29, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Lake Harriet Bandshell

Enjoy the free Music in the Parks series as it continues through summer. This week includes a performance by SeaWeeds, a local indie jam band that plays a mix of originals and reimagined covers. Check out the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board calendar for a complete schedule of Music in the Parks performances.

Public Tour: Inspired by Books

What: Arts, Books
When: Tuesday, June 30, at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 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 June exploring The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger. Tours meet in the General Mills Lobby on the first floor.

Minneapolis Movies in the Parks: F1

What: Movies, Community
When: Tuesday, June 30, at 9:05 p.m.
Where: 40th Street 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 F1, a film starring Brad Pitt as a Formula 1 racing driver who returns to the track 30 years after an accident at the behest of a struggling racing team. Presented with Spanish subtitles. Check out the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board calendar for a complete schedule of Movies in the Parks screenings.

Seed Sorting Party

What: Community, Educational
When: Wednesday, July 1, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Hennepin County Library–Nokomis

The Nokomis Library is home to more than just books. It also includes a seed library where the community can check out seeds and plant them at home. During this event, you can help sort and label donated seeds while learning more about seed saving and home gardening.

Puppeteers for Fears Presents Robopocalypse: The Musical!

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Wednesday, July 1, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Cedar Cultural Center

Smart appliances are turned against humanity when a teen’s science project unwittingly sets a malevolent artificial intelligence loose on the world in this all-puppet horror comedy presented by the Oregon-based comedy troupe Puppeteers for Fears. Tickets are $27.81–33.09; ASL interpretation provided.

CONvergence 2026: The Geek in the Machine

What: Convention
When: Thursday, July 2, through Sunday, July 5
Where: Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

CONvergence is an annual four-day convention for fans of sci fi and fantasy of all kinds. The event has a different theme every year, and this year’s theme is “The Geek in the Machine,” which celebrates androids, cyborgs, and robots. Guests of Honor include Arif S. Kinchen, Christine D. Galey, JR Dawson, John Kovalic, and Nur-D. Come for panels, people watching, room parties, or more. Adult weekend passes are $135, with reduced rates for teens and kids; day passes are also available. See the website for full registration details. Make sure to visit the Twin Cities Geek fan table on the Nicollet Promenade near MainStage!

Firefly Viewing Nights

What: Educational, Sports & Fitness
When: Thursday, July 2, Friday, July 3, and Sunday, July 5, at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (Chaska)

Enjoy a night hike surrounded by the soft glow of lightning bugs! Start the night by learning about these creatures from a Minnesota master naturalist, then choose from three different routes that vary in length. There is also a make-and-take craft activity and some days include additional presentations. General admission tickets are $20, with discounts available for children and members.

Taste of Minnesota

What: Music, Family, Food & Drink
When: Friday, July 3, at 4:00 p.m. and Saturday, July 4, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Nicollet Mall

The Taste of Minnesota returns to Nicollet Mall to celebrate the Fourth of July with two free days of live music, food trucks, and art. Musical performers include Polica, Dillinger Four, Bad Bad Hats, Brother Ali, Ant, Dessa, Nur-D, and more. This event is free; RSVPing is recommended. Check out the website for a full artist lineup, an event map, and free Metro Transit passes.

Scream It Off Screen

What: Movies
When: Friday, July 3, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: The Parkway Theater

Scream It Off Screen is a short-film contest with an audience interaction element! Come together with other film 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 $18 in advance or $25 at the door. (Read: “With Scream It Off Screen at the Parkway Theater, Everyone’s a Critic”)

Fourth of July at Sibley

What: Educational
When: Saturday, July 4, at 9:00 a.m.
Where: Sibley Historic Site (Mendota)

Lean into history on America’s 250th birthday this Fourth of July with free admission to the Sibley Historic Site. There will be cake, crafts, guided tours, and more. Space is limited and the event is sold out as of this posting, but wait-list spots are still available, so be sure to RSVP ahead of time.

Red, White, and Boom

What: Community
When: Saturday, July 4, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Water Works Pavillion and Mill Ruins Park

Celebrate the Fourth of July along the riverfront! The event includes a pop-up market, open-play pickleball, food trucks, dance sessions, and more, all leading up to the 10:00 p.m. fireworks show over the Mississippi. Check out the event listing for the full schedule.

Stars and Stripes: Pattern Hunting!

What: Arts
When: Saturday, July 4, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Fort Snelling State Park

Hunt for intriguing natural patterns and textures in nature and capture them with crafty stamping techniques. This is a free event with all supplies provided, but personal sketchbooks are welcomed.

Greenharbor LARP Amtgard Outdoor Park Day

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Saturday, July 4, 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 to join in on the fun and all equipment is provided for free.

Midnight Mayhem: Uncle Sam

What: Movies
When: Saturday, July 4, at 10:00 p.m.
Where: The Main

The Midnight Mayhem series returns with a screening of Uncle Sam, “the most explosive direct-to-video Fourth-of-July themed slasher 1996 had to offer.” Expect special surprises and giveaways with host Chaz Kangas throughout this fun community film night. Tickets are $13.

Dolly Parton Drag Brunch

What: Theater & Comedy, Food & Drinks
When: Sunday, July 5, at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Where: Crave Rooftop

Enjoy a themed drag performance and a delicious meal at one of Flip Phone’s popular brunch events. This week features the annual July Fourth Dolly Parton celebration. Costumes and singing along are highly encouraged. Tickets are $20.28 and attendees must purchase an entrée during the event.

Shieldmaiden Sunday

What: Gaming, Meetup
When: Sunday, July 5, 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!

Trivia Mafia at Fulton Taproom

What: Trivia, Food & Drink
When: Sunday, July 5, at 5:00 p.m.
Where: Fulton Taproom

Every Sunday evening, enjoy a couple hours of trivia along with some good food and local beer.

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Virtual Events

825 Arts Minecraft Club

What: Gaming, Meetup
When: Monday, June 29, at 4:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Minecraft and Discord

St. Paul’s 825 Arts hosts a virtual gathering space “by kids for kids” in Minecraft with a club meetup every Monday where teens and preteens can play, design, participate in theme challenges, and just hang out. Check out the website for information on joining their server, a technical FAQ, moderation and safety information for parents, and other Minecraft events.

Virtual Pub Quiz Trivia Night

What: Trivia
When: Monday, June 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!

Virtual Makers Mornings

What: Community, Arts
When: Tuesday, June 30, at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Join fellow makers at this morning social hour hosted by the American Swedish Institute. This free event is open to all kinds of crafts and is intended as a place to share projects, make some progress, and socialize. Registration is required.

Smithsonian Associates Streaming Series—Declaration: The Untold Stories Behind America’s Founding Document

What: Educational
When: Tuesday, June 30, at 5:45 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, learn about the “debates, drafts, and drama that surrounded the creation of the Declaration of Independence,” including a focus on the often-forgotten influences of women, Indigenous peoples, and enslaved individuals. General-admission tickets are $35, and a discount is available for members. Check out the streaming-series webpage for the many other upcoming events this week.

Gaming Wednesdays for Teens: Virtual Gaming

What: Gaming
When: Wednesday, July 1, at 4:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

Weekly gathering to play online board and video games for grades 6–12. Hosted by the Ramsey County Library. Registration required.

Twin Cities Geek Art Club

What: Arts
When: Wednesday, July 1, 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. Join the server by visiting twincitiesgeek.com/discord.

The Untold Story of Luigi Del Bianco: Mount Rushmore Chief Carver

What: Educational
When: Thursday, July 2, at 4:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual event

“This is the story of an obscure Italian immigrant with a gift for stone carving who not only saved the monumental project, but made it one of the world’s finest.” Led by Luigi’s grandson, Lou Del Bianco, this presentation featuring historic photos and documents from the Library of Congress will dive into his early life, career, and experiences in South Dakota while serving as Chief Carver during Mount Rushmore’s creation, as well as his family’s fight to get his name in the history books.

Femmes Gone Fatale: Commodified Womxn in 21st Century American Horror

What: Educational
When: Saturday, July 4, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual event

Romancing the Gothic hosts weekly classes and events exploring gothic, romantic, and horror topics. This week takes a close reading of the series From Dusk Til Dawn and the film Zombie Strippers to explore how the monstrous transformations of their erotic dancers subvert objectification, challenge patriarchy, and rework horror tropes. Romancing the Gothic events are free to attend, but pay-what-you-can donations or patronage to support the series are encouraged.

Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks

What: Family, Music
When: Saturday, July 4, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo

Finish the Fourth with a bang! Macy’s 50th annual fireworks spectacular will light up the New York skyline and TV screens across the country. Along with the pyrotechnics, expect musical performances by Alexia Javy, Noah Kahan, Post Malone, Bebe Rexha, Salt-N-Pepa, Shaboozey, and Blake Shelton.

Virtual Transmission

What: Music, Nightlife
When: Saturday, July 4, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Twitch

The popular Transmission dance night is hosting a weekly virtual music-video stream. DJ Jake Rudh will be bringing New Wave, Alternative, and more ’80s-centric greats directly to your home. So, dance, dance, dance to the radio (or, in this case, Twitch stream).

Virtual Dungeons and Dragons for Teens

What: Gaming
When: Sunday, June 28, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom and Roll20

Online D&D for grades 6–12 hosted by the Ramsey County Library. All experience levels welcome. Registration required.

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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!