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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 1, to Sunday, September 7.
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
The Pickup Truck Opera: The Return of King Idomeneo
What: Theater & Comedy
When: Now through Sunday, September 14
Where: Various venues
Opera hits the road in a blue pickup truck with a traveling performance of The Return of King Idomeneo. This show brings Mozart’s opera about Greek General Idomeneo and the Trojan War into midcentury America and will mix together classic arias and choruses with the musical stylings of 1950s doo-wop and 1960s girl groups. 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.
Minnesota Renaissance Festival
What: Arts, Comedy & Theater, Educational, Family
When: Now through Sunday, September 28
Where: 12364 Chestnut Boulevard (Shakopee)
The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is celebrating its 54th season and will be open weekends through September 28! 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 $28.95 for adults, $26.95 for seniors, and $19.95 for children at the gate, and there are other ticket and pass options available on the website. Please note, those making the drive to the festival will either need to purchase a prepaid parking pass at $18 to park on the festival grounds 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, September 1, and Wednesday, September 3, 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 Central Library Chess Club
What: Gaming
When: Tuesday, September 2, at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Minneapolis Central Library
Meet other chess fans and practice your skills. All ages and levels welcome. Free.
Free Thursday Nights at the History Center
What: Educational, Family
When: Thursday, September 4, 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 4, 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, preserve a favorite photo in a newly decorated frame.
Monster Science First Thursdays: Hell is From Children
What: Theater & Comedy, Educational
When: Thursday, September 4, 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 child monsters—“not the usual sort, but literal monsters, back from the dead or terrifyingly transformed!” Tickets are $15 in advance, or $18 at the door.
Diversicon
What: Convention
When: Friday, September 5, through Sunday, September 7
Where: Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West (Plymouth)
Diversicon is a speculative-fiction convention aimed at helping Minnesota’s sci-fi community more closely reflect Minnesota’s cultural diversity. This event is a project of SF Minnesota, and includes special guests, parties, and more. This year’s guests include authors Lyda Morehouse and Naomi Kritzer. Registration is $55 at the door, or $30 for kids ages 5–11.
Furry Migration
What: Convention
When: Friday, September 5, through Sunday, September 7
Where: Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, downtown
Furry Migration is an annual convention for furries held in Minneapolis, and this year’s theme is “The Gala: Creature, Couture, Coterie.” 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.
F1RST Wrestling Fan Fest and Saturday Night Nitro
What: Sports & Fitness
When: Friday, September 5, at 6:00 p.m.
Where: The Fair on 4, Mall of America
Join some of the superstars of F1RST Wrestling for a fun evening that includes meet-and-greets, axe throwing, and indoor go karts. This event is followed by the fourth-annual Saturday Night Nitro, featuring international stars as well as local rapper Nur-D making his wrestling debut. Tickets range from $13 for Fan Fest only to $87.50 for full-event VIP access.
Scream It Off Screen
What: Movies
When: Friday, September 5, 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 $13 in advance or $19 at the door. (Read: “With Scream It Off Screen at the Parkway Theater, Everyone’s a Critic”)
The Mermaid’s Ball at RaptureMN
What: Nightlife
When: Friday, September 5, at 10:00 p.m.
Where: Ground Zero Nightclub
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. The costumed theme for this event is “Pirate, Merfolk, Space Explorer, Alien, or some other creature of the Deep.”
Pagan Pride Fall Festival
What: Educational
When: Saturday, September 6, 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.
17th Annual Monarch Festival—Festival de la Monarca
What: Educational, Family, Community
When: Saturday, September 6, 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.
Archaeology Day at Historic Fort Snelling
What: Educational, Family
When: Saturday, September 6, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Historic Fort Snelling
Explore local history thru archaeology with family-friendly activities, hands-on demonstrations, and a technological peek under the floorboards in the officer’s quarters. Event included in regular site admission.
Free First Saturdays at the Walker
What: Arts, Family
When: Saturday, September 6, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Walker Art Center
This month’s theme is Fantastical Creatures and will feature larger-than-life puppets in the Sculpture Garden. 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.
First Saturday Guided Tours at Pavek Museum
What: Educational, Science & Technology
When: Saturday, September 6, at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Pavek Museum
Learn about the history and cultural significance of electronic communication during this 45-minute guided tour of the Pavek Museum. See vintage and “please don’t say that’s already considered vintage” pieces as well as some expert demonstrations. First come, first served. Tour is included with museum admission: adults $11, with discounts for children, military, and more.
Kpop Minncon
What: Music, Convention
When: Saturday, September 6, at 11:00 a.m.
Where: St. Paul RiverCentre
K-pop fans will enjoy this first-of-its-kind all-day event featuring dance workshops, a dance competition, meet-and-greets, vendor market, fan-led panels, and a live K-pop concert featuring BE:MAX. Food trucks, Duck! claw machines, and photo-card trading, too. Don’t miss out! Adult tickets $65; kids 11 and under $33.
Midnight Mayhem: Re-Animator
What: Movies
When: Saturday, September 6, at 10:00 p.m.
Where: The Main
The Midnight Mayhem series features Re-Animator, a 1980s body-horror masterpiece in which a mad scientist is attempting to reanimate corpses. Expect special surprises and giveaways with host Chaz Kangas throughout this fun community film night. Tickets are $13.
Schitt’s Creek Drag Brunch
What: Theater & Comedy
When: Sunday, September 7, 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 celebrates the iconic TV show Schitt’s Creek. Costumes and singing along are encouraged. Tickets are $20.28 and attendees must purchase an entrée during the event.
Minneapolis Central Craft Club
What: Arts, Community
When: Sunday, September 7, at 12:00 p.m.
Where: Minneapolis Central Library
Craft it up on a Sunday afternoon with community at this free club that focusses 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 7, 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!
Virtual Events
The (Not-So) Young Adult Book Club
What: Books
When: Monday, September 1, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Virtual event
Adults can embrace their love of young-adult literature at this book club hosted on the first Monday of every month by Red Balloon Bookshop. Members choose the monthly book, receive discounts, and have opportunities to read advanced reader copies (ARCs). Anyone interested in joining should head over to the event page for more information, including how to sign up.
Virtual Pub Quiz Trivia Night
What: Trivia
When: Monday, September 1, 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!
Twin Cities Geek Art Club
What: Arts
When: Wednesday, September 3, 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.
Weird & Wonderful Wednesday Watchalongs
What: Movies
When: Wednesday, September 3, 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.
Smithsonian Associates Streaming Series—The Story of CO2
What: Educational
When: Thursday, September 4, 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, science journalist Peter Brannen will discuss how fundamental CO2 is to how the Earth works, how it is essential to all life, and how it can also destroy it. Join him while he covers 4 million years of history and the lessons that could help us avert future catastrophes. His book on the same topic is The Story of CO2 Is the Story of Everything: How Carbon Dioxide Made Our World. 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.
Spanish-English Comic Adventure
What: Comics, Educational
When: Friday, September 5, at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Google Meets
Enjoy reading comics in both English and Spanish, translating dialogue into the opposite language. A great opportunity for all levels of language learners. “Ríe, aprende, y dale vida a estos cómics con nosotros!” This is a free event.
Writer’s Roulette
What: Meetup
When: Friday, September 5, at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom
Stretch those creative writing muscles at the Writer’s Roulette! Each event starts with a writing prompt and 20 minutes to write whatever comes to mind in any genre or style. Then participants are given the option to share their work. “Whether you’re looking for inspiration, practice, or just a creative jolt, Writer’s Roulette is your chance to see where the words take you.” Tickets are $7.
Virtual Dungeons & Dragons for Teens
What: Gaming
When: Sunday, September 7, at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual via Zoom and Roll20
Online D&D for grades 6–12 and all experience levels. Registration required.
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!
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