This Week in Geek (8/31/2026–9/6/2026)

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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, August 31, to Sunday, September 6.

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

Minneapolis Music in the Parks

What: Music, Community
When: Now through Monday, September 7
Where: Various parks around Minneapolis

Enjoy the free Music in the Parks series as it continues through summer. At least one group featured every day. Check out the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board calendar for a complete schedule of Music in the Parks performances.

Minnesota State Fair

What: Community, Family, Food & Drink, Music
When: Now through Monday, September 7
Where: Minnesota State Fairgrounds

Twelve days of fun from August 27 to September 7, famous for its foods on sticks, butter princesses, musical acts, prize-winning animals, arts and crafts, and limited-run beer! They don’t call it the great Minnesota get-together for nothing, and geeks of all stripes are likely to find activities that interest them. Adult tickets are $20 (see the ticket site for all costs and deals) for this family-friendly event, with Grandstand performances requiring additional tickets. See the website for more details on planning your trip, and be sure to check out our article regarding the character alignments of the new state fair foods!

The Pickup Truck Opera: Tales of Hoffman

What: Theater & Comedy, Music
When: Now through Sunday, September 13
Where: Various Locations

Opera hits the road in a blue pickup truck with a traveling performance of Tales of Hoffman, which showcases the adventures of a traveling poet in a world overrun by technology. All performances will be held outdoors in natural spaces throughout the state and ingeniously use the truck and trailer as a stage. This is the debut event of the season. See the website for a full schedule, including the different dates and locations.

Minnesota Renaissance Festival

What: Arts, Comedy & Theater, Educational, Family
When: Now through Sunday, October 4
Where: 12364 Chestnut Boulevard (Shakopee)

The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is celebrating its 55th season, and will be open weekends from August 22 to October 4! Come experience a wide variety of Renaissance-themed activities, including musical acts, comedy shows, artisan markets, food and drink, actors in costume, games, demos, jousting, and kid-themed events. The fest is open rain or shine, and tickets are $29.95 for adults, $27.95 for seniors, and $19.95 for children at the gate, and there are other discounted ticket and pass options available on the website. Please note, some events will require an additional ticket and those making the drive to the festival will either need to purchase a pre-paid parking pass at $18 to park on the MN Ren Fest Ground or plan on utilizing the park-and-ride lots with round-trip bus rides for $6.

Free Yoga at Union Depot

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Monday, August 31, and Wednesday, September 2, 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.

St. Paul Board Game Group

What: Gaming
When: Monday, August 31, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Lake Monster Brewing

Join other board-game enthusiasts for some gaming fun every first and third Monday.

Minneapolis Central Library Chess Club

What: Gaming
When: Tuesday, September 1, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Minneapolis Central Library

All experience levels and ages are welcome at this free session. Learn the basics or advance your game while meeting other chess enthusiasts.

Dungeons & Dragons Weekly One-Shot

What: Gaming
When: Wednesday, September 2, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: The Forge (Chaska)

All levels of experience are welcome at this weekly one-shot D&D adventure. Tickets are $36.86 and include a premade character sheet, seven-dice set, a boba tea and appetizers.

John Hughes at the Parkway: Pretty in Pink

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

A series of three weekly iconic John Hughes movies kicks off with Pretty in Pink. Pre-show with DJ Jake Rudh. Tickets for individual shows are $14.43 in advance or $15 at the door. Buy a pass for the entire series for $38.07, which includes a free bag of popcorn at each screening.

Free Thursday Nights at the History Center

What: Educational, Family
When: Thursday, September 3, at 4:00 p.m.
Where: Minnesota History Center

Explore Minnesota’s history with free admission and parking to the Minnesota History Center on Thursday nights. Exhibits include Then Now Wow, Our Home: Native Minnesota, Weather Permitting, and more.

Happily Deranged Art Exhibition Reception

What: Arts
When: Thursday, September 3, at 5:00 p.m.
Where: The Fox Den Gallery

Opening night for Tony Julianos’s solo art exhibit that showcases parody paintings of famous art. Also features the release of their third comic book, Funky Garbage: Zombies’ Open Swim. Free.

Walker Art Center Art Club

What: Arts
When: Thursday, September 3, at 5:00 p.m.
Where: Walker Art Center

Get creative at the Walker Art Center’s weekly Art Club during the museum’s free Thursday nights. Explore different mediums and ideas through themed activities designed to be accessible for all ages and levels of experience. Materials are free while supplies last. This week’s theme is an open studio for acrylic painting with a variety of paints and brushes available for use.

Monster Science First Thursday: Jurassic Art

What: Theater & Comedy, Educational, Food & Drink
When: Thursday, September 3, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Bryant Lake Bowl

Reverend Matt’s Monster Science, a recurring comedic-lecture series with a focus on monsters, returns this month to explore prehistoric animals, exploring everything from depictions in modern art to paintings by prehistoric humans. Tickets are $15 in advance, or $18 at the door. Full restaurant and bar service available in the theater.

Summer Friday Night Car Shows

What: Community, Family
When: Friday nights through September 18, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Downtown North St. Paul

Stroll downtown North St. Paul with plenty of shopping and food while appreciating classic cars and live music. Free.

Scream It Off Screen

What: Movies
When: Friday, September 4, at 7:00 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 $23.66 in advance or $25 at the door.

The MPLS Goth Ball at RaptureMN

What: Nightlife
When: Friday, September 4, at 10:00 p.m.
Where: Ground Zero Nightclub

Goths! Enjoy a night of DJs and entertainers (including fire performance, aerial acrobatics, laser lights, LEDs, and more) while dancing the night away. See the event description for a list of DJs and entertainers. Tickets are $15 and event is 21+. The costumed theme for this event is “Dress to impress in your most fancy Goth attire for getting dancy!”

First Free Saturday: Back in the Groove!

What: Arts, Family
When: Saturday, September 5, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Walker Art Center

This month’s theme is Back in the Groove, an opportunity to celebrate the transition between summer and returning to routines by getting the wiggles out and dancing into fall. Also enjoy the Walker Art Center’s current exhibitions, check out a film from the museum’s collection, or participate in family-friendly creative activities. Free tickets can be reserved in advance.

Greenharbor LARP Amtgard Outdoor Park Day

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Saturday, September 5, 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.

Picturegoer Film Club Presents: Metropolis

What: Movies
When: Saturday, September 5, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Howard Conn Fine Arts Center

Catch a special screening of the 1927 science-fiction movie Metropolis with a preshow featuring vintage cartoons, trailers, and theater snipes. Tickets are $10.

Minneapolis Movies in the Parks Finale: Rocky (50th Anniversary)

What: Movies, Community
When: Saturday, September 5, at 7:45 p.m.
Where: Bryant Square Park

Enjoy the last night of the season for movie magic under the stars! Movies start at dusk and are free and open to the public. Screening this week is the original Rocky, which premiered in 1976. Don’t miss this classic underdog movie starring Sylvester Stallone. Other movies earlier in the week include The Greatest Showman and The Goonies.

Midnight Mayhem: From Beyond

What: Movies
When: Saturday, September 5, at 10:00 p.m.
Where: The Main Cinema

The Midnight Mayhem series returns with a screening of From Beyond, a splatter-fest that “starts with a pineal gland experiment and ends with all-to-wall interdimensional mutants getting mutilated.” Expect special surprises and giveaways with host Chaz Kangas throughout this fun community film night. Tickets are $13.

Retro Tech Club Monthly Meet

What: Science & Technology, Meetup
When: Sunday, September 6, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: 2DHQ

Monthly meetup of the newly formed Minnesota Retro Technology Club, formed to discuss and appreciate “vintage computers, video games, audio-video equipment, antique cameras, and much more.” Access is free, but donations are encouraged.

90s RnB Drag Brunch

What: Theater & Comedy, Food & Drinks
When: Sunday, September 6, at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Where: Crave

Enjoy a themed drag performance and a delicious meal at one of Flip Phone’s popular brunch events. This week pays tribute to the 90s RnB sound, including Xscape, En Vogue, TLC, Destiny’s Child, and more! Costumes are encouraged. Tickets are $20.98 and attendees must purchase an entrée during the event.

Minneapolis Central Craft Club

What: Arts, Meetup
When: Sunday, September 6, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Hennepin County Library–Minneapolis Central

Craft it up on a Sunday afternoon with community at this free club that focuses on knitting, crochet, papercrafts, embroidery, and hand-sewing. Bring your own materials to make progress on your current project or begin something new with the materials provided.

Shieldmaiden Sunday

What: Gaming, Meetup
When: Sunday, September 6, 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!

Parks and Wreck: A Live Dungeons & Dragons Actual Play

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Sunday, September 6, at 2:00 p.m.
Where: Hive Collaborative

“TiTterRPiGs is a cast of all queer actors, improvisers, and gamers using the unique Actual Play format to tell long-form improv stories of collaboration, rebellion, and queer joy.” Parks and Wreck is a brand-new adventure for our familiar foursome. Who will end up in the hot pants this time? Tickets are $10–$25.

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Virtual Events

825 Arts Minecraft Club

What: Gaming, Meetup
When: Monday, August 31, 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, August 31, 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, September 1, 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.

Gaming Wednesdays for Teens: Virtual Gaming

What: Gaming
When: Wednesday, September 2, 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, September 2, 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.

Smithsonian Associates Streaming Series—The New Space Age: Ambition, Illusion, and the Future of Humanity

What: Educational, Science & Tech
When: Thursday, September 3, 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, Ben Bramble, philosopher and author of Lunacy: Ten False Promises of the New Space Age, leads a discussion of the complex issues associated with space exploration and helps to distinguish between escape-expansion ideas and curiosity-driven exploration. General-admission tickets are $30, and there is a discount for members. Check out the streaming-series webpage for the many other upcoming events this week.

First Friday–Third Thursday QuickRead

What: Books
When: Friday, September 4, at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom

If you are always looking for a new science-fiction, fantasy, or horror read, check out this literary speed-dating event featuring several authors who each get eight minutes to pique your interest. Q&A at the end of the event. Free, but tips accepted.

Virtual Transmission

What: Music, Nightlife
When: Saturday, September 5, 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 & Dragons for Teens

What: Gaming
When: Sunday, September 6, 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!