This Week in Geek (9/7/2026–9/13/2026)

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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, September 7, to Sunday, September 13.

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

Minnesota State Fair

What: Community, Family, Food & Drink, Music
When: Thursday, August 27 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 through 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 prepaid parking pass at $18 to park on the Minnesota RenFest grounds or plan on using the park-and-ride lots with round-trip bus rides for $6.

Free Yoga at Union Depot

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Monday, September 7, and Wednesday, September 9, 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.

Minneapolis Music in the Parks

What: Music, Community
When: Monday, September 7, at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Where: Lake Harriet Bandshell

Minneapolis Music in the Parks closes out their season with a double-header concert featuring The Riff Rangers and Dred I Dread.

Minneapolis Institute of Art Public Tours: Inspired by Books

What: Arts
When: Tuesday, September 8, 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 September exploring Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel. Tours meet in the General Mills Lobby on the first floor.

Dungeons & Dragons Weekly One-Shot

What: Gaming
When: Wednesday, September 9, 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.

BuckSlam September Poetry Slam

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Wednesday, September 9, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Indeed Brewing

BuckSlam is a monthly poetry slam where up to 12 performers use their words to battle it out over two rounds. There is a $1 cover and sign ups open up the day of the slam. The night’s top poet will walk away with the proverbial crown, $1, and a gift card to Indeed Brewing. “So grab a buck, grab a buddy, grab a beverage, and come experience some original poetry.”

Superior: A 50-Year Photographic Journey with Craig Blacklock

What: Books
When: Wednesday, September 9, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Stillwater Public Library

Take a visual journey to Lake Superior! Photographer and author Craig Blacklock will be sharing photos of the lake and its landscapes captured over 50 years, as well as discussing the lake’s stories, history, and challenges. There will also be a video presentation of Lessons from Superior. The event will conclude with a Q&A and book signing.

Free Thursday Nights at the History Center

What: Educational, Family
When: Thursday, September 10, 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.

Walker Art Center Art Club

What: Arts
When: Thursday, September 10, 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 “cake as canvas,” which will dive into traditional icing methods and experimental trends. Note that this week’s event has limited capacity and requires a free ticket; as of this column’s posting, tickets are sold out, and there will be a night-of waitlist.

Furry Migration: Rewind

What: Convention
When: Friday, September 11, through Sunday, September 13
Where: Hyatt Regency Minneapolis

Furry Migration is an annual convention for furries held in Minneapolis, and this year’s theme is “Rewind.” The convention has a variety of events for furry enthusiasts, including dances, gaming, workshops, room parties, panels, an artist alley, and more. Registration is $80; see the website for programming details.

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.

MinnAnimate

What: Movies
When: Saturday, September 12 through Sunday, September 13
Where: Multiple Locations

MinnAnimate is back for its 14th year celebrating independent animation. There will be four screenings of animated shorts by (mostly) local and regional artists and a Sishir Bommakanti retrospective screening, all at the Trylon. Artists can also stretch their creative muscles with the community during a sketchbook show-and-tell at Wildflyer Coffee. There will also be an opening party at Mirror Lab and a closing happy hour at Arbeiter Brewing. Individual screenings are $10.

The Uncanny Experience

What: Comics, Arts, Movies, Conventions
When: Saturday, September 12 through Sunday, September 13
Where: Minneapolis Club

The Uncanny Experience is an immersive X-Men convention where fans can join the Xavier Institute, explore a Mutant Market, attend engaging panels, compete in a cosplay contest, and more. Special guests include Lenore Zann, Adrian Hough, Fabian Nicieza, and Stephanie Williams. General admission tickets are $103 and kids get in for $16.30 with a ticketed adult; after-party tickets are sold separately. (Read: “The Uncanny Experience Brings an Immersive and Inclusive X-Men Event to Minneapolis”)

18th Annual Monarch Festival—Festival de la Monarca

What: Educational, Family, Community
When: Saturday, September 12, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: adjacent to Lake Nokomis Community Center

Celebrate monarch butterflies who migrate over 2,300 miles from Minnesota to Mexico annually. The festival will include close-up butterflies, info on their habitats, and how we can all help them, in addition to food, dance, music, and hands-on art.

Pagan Pride Fall Festival

What: Educational
When: Saturday, September 12, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Minnehaha Falls Park

Hosted by Twin Cities Pagan Pride, this fall event includes community organizations, vendors, rituals, food, and entertainment, with an emphasis on public education about all things Pagan. This is a free event.

Connecting Conversations—The Next Broadcast: What the History of Communication Teaches Us About Protecting Kids Today

What: Science & Tech, Educational
When: Saturday, September 12, at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Pavek Museum (St. Louis Park)

Connecting Conversations is a series that explores “the past, present, and future of electronic communications” with guest lectures from topic experts. This talk explores the public debate around child safety and communication technology, including the standards and public-interest obligations that developed with radio and television, how today’s technology like smartphones and AI are arriving faster than regulations, the consequences of that timing, and current policy discussions. Panelists include “Minnesota families who have lost children to online harms and Minnesota legislators leading the policy response.” This event is included with museum admission, which is a special reduced rate of $9.88 for this event.

Greenharbor LARP Amtgard Outdoor Park Day

What: Sports & Fitness
When: Saturday, September 12, 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.

Dungeons & Dragons & Doughnuts

What: Gaming
When: Saturday, September 12, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Angel Food Bakery & Coffee Bar (St. Louis Park)

Get ready to roll some dice, slay some dragons, and eat some tasty doughnuts. Adventurers of all levels can join this Dungeons & Dragons game night with quests led by experienced game masters. Tickets are $23.18–33.85, which includes a doughnut, set of dice, a premade character sheet, and entry into an artist giveaway, as well as bottomless cider, cold brew, and cocoa.

September DJ Dance Ride

What: Sports & Fitness, Music
When: Saturday, September 12, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Perennial Cycle

Join the DJ Dance Ride for a perfect night of cycling and dancing with an upbeat soundtrack spun live by local DJs. This slow-paced ride welcomes all wheels, including e-bikes, skateboards, scooters, and rollerblades/skates. The planned route is 10 miles round trip and has two built-in dance stops. This event is free and riders are reminded to bring lights.

Family Day: Sounds of Summer

What: Family
When: Sunday, September 13, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Minneapolis Institute of Art

Family Day is a free monthly event at the Minneapolis Institute of Art that gives the young and the young at heart an opportunity to check out performances, hands-on activities, tours, and more. This weekend’s theme bids farewell to summer with a celebration of sound and will include outdoor performances by TaikoArts Midwest, Train House Friends, and Basic and Boring.

The Odyssey Drag Brunch

What: Theater & Comedy, Food & Drinks
When: Sunday, September 13, 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 go on a mythologically epic voyage with a tribute to The Odyssey. Costumes and singing along 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 13, 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 13, 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!

How to Survive and Find a Way Home

What: Educational, Sports & Fitness
When: Sunday, September 13, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Fort Snelling State Park

Learn some basic survival skills from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. This free event may be of particular interest to geeks and their families who have picked up new outdoor hobbies or enjoy exploring our state’s beautiful landscapes and wilderness areas.

Next Chapter Booksellers Manga Club

What: Comics
When: Sunday, September 13, at 4:00 p.m.
Where: Next Chapter Booksellers

Discuss a new manga title every month at Next Chapter Booksellers. This free manga book club also provides tasty Japanese snacks and discounts on manga purchases in the store. Check out the event page for more information, including the tentative upcoming schedule. For September, the read of choice is Short Game: Mitsuru Adachi’s Baseball Short Story Collection.

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Virtual Events

825 Arts Minecraft Club

What: Gaming, Meetup
When: Monday, September 7, 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, September 7, 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 8, 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.

Queer Book Club

What: Books
When: Tuesday, September 8, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual event

Discuss new books that are written by queer authors or that explore queer topics at this free monthly book club hosted by the Hennepin County Library. This month’s selection is Flamboyants by George M. Johnson. Copies of the ebook and audio versions are available through the library website, while physical copies are available for checkout at the East Lake and Ridgedale libraries. Next month’s read will be The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia.

Gaming Wednesdays for Teens: Virtual Gaming

What: Gaming
When: Wednesday, September 9, 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 9, 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.

Take Me to Your Leader: A Conversation with Neil deGrasse Tyson

What: Books, Science & Tech
When: Thursday, September 10, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via YouTube and Facebook

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s latest book, Take Me to Your Leader, brings together scientific data, pop culture history, and a lifetime fascination with aliens to speculate on our possible cosmic neighbors. In the book and this free livestream conversation, he explores what aliens might look like, how they might act, possible modes of space travel, and more.

9/11: 25 Years Later

What: Educational
When: Thursday, September 10, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via YouTube

2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. This panel hosted by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum brings together aviation personnel and first responders to tell their stories from 9/11 at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the Pentagon, as well as discuss the lasting impacts of that day.

An American Tail: A Night of Stars and Song Live

What: Theater & Comedy
When: Thursday, September 10, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual event

Enjoy a live table read of the beloved classic children’s film An American Tail performed by Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Hamill, Bernadette Peters, Josh Andrés Rivera, and more. Tickets start at $18 and benefit the Workers Circle, a 125-year-old immigrant-founded organization that works “for an inclusive democracy and social equality.”

Smithsonian Associates Streaming Series—Le Corbusier: Architect of the Modern World

What: Educational, Science & Tech
When: Friday, September 11, at 11:00 a.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, art historian Jennie Hirsch dives into the innovative architectural career of Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (better known as Le Corbusier), including his defining role in modernism, the political and intellectual contexts of the time, examples of his works, and his ongoing influence on debates around city planning. 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.

Virtual Transmission

What: Music, Nightlife
When: Saturday, September 12, 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 13, 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!