We love games at GeekGirlCon! We also love awesome events that help kids. So, here’s an opportunity to do both by supporting Extra Life, a 24-hour game marathon to raise funds for sick children and their families. Extra Life has been around since 2008, and since that time it’s raised over $14 million for children in hospital! This year, GeekGirlCon is proud to have two of its staffers taking part on September 16 for this great cause.
Once again, our very own Gaming Event Coordinator, Andy Munich (also known as The 8 Hour Gamer) and our Merchandise Manager extraordinaire, Shubz, will be battling the monsters of the Underdark as part of the Wizards of the Coast team to help raise money for the Seattle Children’s Hospital. Andy will also be running a game of Dungeons and Dragons as a Dungeon Master, so you can see him switch hats and roles throughout the marathon!
One of the best things about GeekGirlCon is that it’s two and a half days of amazing, family-friendly panels, merch, cosplay and science experiments! There’s a lot we have in store for you for October 8 and 9, and that’s not to mention that there’ll be our kickoff party on the Friday before as well!
One of the worst things about GeekGirlCon is that at the end of the day you’ve got to schlep home with all your new swag, only to fight the traffic the next day to get back into the city. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just crash somewhere safe, comfortable and affordable nearby to the Conference Center at WSCC?
All good things come to an end, and so too will our Agent application period, at 10pm PST tonight. If you’ve ever thought about being an Agent, this is your year to apply!
Okay, I get that sometimes for us with geekish leanings, it can be difficult to be outgoing and friendly and talkative to a whole bunch of new people. But if that’s a concern for you, never fear! GeekGirlCon is an incredibly welcoming and inclusive environment, geared especially towards making all of our attendees feel safe. We work hard to foster that sense of community, and we would love for you to help us!
As we say goodbye to summer, make sure you check out these great events before the season changes! GAT will now also feature events that are going on throughout the month, so you can plan ahead!
Throughout August:
Free Gates Foundation Family Tours and Activities
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center, 440 5th Ave North, Seattle
Open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am to 5pm (until 6pm from June 3-August 30). Closed Sunday, Monday, and all U.S. holidays
Free admission!
It’s interactive, kid friendly, and full of teachable and inspirational moments. Bring your family to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Visitor Center for a free visit to learn about the work being done to improve lives from Seattle to South Africa.
The Visitor Center, through engaging and thought-provoking exhibits, allows parents and children to dive into some of the world’s toughest challenges and learn how to act on their own ideas and solutions. Families can expect hands-on exhibits and spaces to create, explore, and discuss.
It’s an experience unlike any other in Seattle. Visit us across the street from the Seattle Center and the iconic Space Needle for an experience that will leave your family hopeful. Arrive curious. Leave inspired.
6:00pm-10:00pm, Mox Boarding House, 13310 BelRed Rd, Bellevue, WA
Our All Geeks, All Games events are growing in popularity! Join GeekGirlCon and Mox Boarding House in Bellevue and help us continue to expand our community of diverse and inclusive gamers to the East Side!
Help us fill that beautiful Tournament Room with folks enjoying our favorite games in a safe and accepting atmosphere. Why mess with the headache of traffic when you can come and play games with us instead.
Staff from both organizations will be on hand to help facilitate gameplay for the shy to the extroverted, from the expert strategist to the board game neophyte. With a huge lending library of games on hand, there will be something for everyone!
As an added bonus, if you play a board game from their library and love it, you can buy a fresh copy for 20% off! How cool is that?!
Experience FREE movies outdoors at Seattle Center this summer. Picnic on the gently sloping Mural Amphitheatre lawn, in front of a state-of-the-art 40-foot screen, with the Space Needle looming above. The series features popular movies, both classic and contemporary, appropriate for all-ages. Movies at the Mural is an outdoor cinema experience like no other!
The desert wastelands inhabited by the Road Warrior are still rife with motorized gangs in this fourth chapter of the Mad Max legend. When Max encounters a group of refugees fleeing for their lives, he joins them and their fiery leader, Furiosa in this apocalyptic story set in a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, and everyone is fighting for the necessities of life.
8:30am-4:15pm, EMP Museum and Pacific Science Center
Registration: $445 ($415 for EMP members)
Open to students in grade 1-2.
Discover the science behind sound in this amped up week!
At EMP, artists will take you on a tour to explore rock ‘n’ roll and hip-hop. Join a group and form a band, perform in front of virtual screaming fans, and collaboratively compose a song recorded for family and friends. Experiment with electric guitars, keyboards, and tuning forks.
At Pacific Science Center, explore vibration, pitch, and volume as you investigate your vocal cords and create your own instruments. Find out how tubes, wind, and string combine to make the sounds of science.
7:00pm-10:45pm, Wayward Coffeehouse, 6417 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA
For this GeekGirlCon game night, there’ll be a special host and theme!
Do you love board games and enjoy teaching others how to play? Explore the board/card game hobby and meet folks happy to teach you their favorite board games! Come and play with folks who love playing games. And the best part about the GeekGirlCon game nights with our friends at Wayward? They are absolutely FREE with no cover charge!
Bring a game with you or just bring yourself. Join GeekGirlCon staffers, make some new friends, play some games, and enjoy some delicious organic, fair trade, and shade-grown coffee.
Experience FREE movies outdoors at Seattle Center this summer. Picnic on the gently sloping Mural Amphitheatre lawn, in front of a state-of-the-art 40-foot screen, with the Space Needle looming above. The series features popular movies, both classic and contemporary, appropriate for all-ages. Movies at the Mural is an outdoor cinema experience like no other!
Decades after the success of the sci-fi series “Galaxy Quest,” the show’s washed-up stars — Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver) and Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman) — are recruited by actual aliens to pull off an intergalactic rescue mission. At first, the actors assume the so-called Thermians are just another group of die-hard fans. But as the plot thickens, they realize they’re working with real-life extraterrestrials.
10am-6pm, Seattle Children’s Theater, 201 Thomas Street Seattle, WA 98109
Registration: $40 Kids Mini-track, $100
FELT-A-CON 2016 is a time for networking, education, fun, and outreach. The event will welcome both professionals and enthusiasts, and puppeteers of all skill levels, from beginners to legends. The weekend registration fee will grant attendees access to at least 5 workshops, lunch, a FELT-A-CON 2016 t-shirt, and a group dinner at a Queen Anne restaurant.
Puppet professionals from Seattle, Everett, Portland, Phoenix and Los Angeles will lead workshops on a wide variety of topics, including sketch writing, tabletop puppetry, and stop motion animation.
6:00pm-10:00pm, Mox Boarding House, 13310 BelRed Rd, Bellevue, WA
Our All Geeks, All Games events are growing in popularity! Join GeekGirlCon and Mox Boarding House in Bellevue and help us continue to expand our community of diverse and inclusive gamers to the East Side!
Help us fill that beautiful Tournament Room with folks enjoying our favorite games in a safe and accepting atmosphere. Why mess with the headache of traffic when you can come and play games with us instead.
Staff from both organizations will be on hand to help facilitate gameplay for the shy to the extroverted, from the expert strategist to the board game neophyte. With a huge lending library of games on hand, there will be something for everyone!
As an added bonus, if you play a board game from their library and love it, you can buy a fresh copy for 20% off! How cool is that?!
Experience FREE movies outdoors at Seattle Center this summer. Picnic on the gently sloping Mural Amphitheatre lawn, in front of a state-of-the-art 40-foot screen, with the Space Needle looming above. The series features popular movies, both classic and contemporary, appropriate for all-ages. Movies at the Mural is an outdoor cinema experience like no other!
Winner of 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, this classic musical set among the tenements of New York City finds star-crossed lovers Maria and Tony caught in the midst of a turf war between rival street gangs. Featuring music and lyrics by Leonard Bernstein and Steven Sondheim, and directed by Jerome Robbins.
Seattle’s BrasilFest celebrates the unique diversity of this South American cultural melting pot. Brazil’s African, Portuguese and indigenous roots are celebrated with classical guitar, samba rhythms and the percussive beats of traditional folk music.
BrasilFest (Brazil spelled with an “S” in Portuguese): The lively world of Brazilian arts and culture will fill Seattle Center with a sultry display of South American soul, Brazilian style.
This one-day extravaganza will offer continuous music, dance, workshops and performance that represent a broad repertoire of traditional and contemporary Brazilian expressions as well as traditional folkloric performers. Experience all that this exuberant and vivid culture has to offer, from Capoeira demonstrations and workshops for all ages (Brazilian martial arts), Samba workshops, children’s activities (mask-making, painting), Brazilian instruments, arts and crafts, photo exhibits and films. BrasilFest is the first annual celebration of Brazilian culture in Washington State, drawing a significant audience.
Menacing clouds are rolling in to Seattle, and the forecast calls for a Rain of Terror as they host this year’s Rust Riot, a tournament featuring some of the best B teams in the world. Mark your calendars for August 20th and 21st and get ready to embrace the gray.
For just $45, you can purchase a weekend pass, which includes admission to 9 full hard-hitting derby bouts. Only available on Saturday or Sunday? Not a problem. We also have one-day passes available for just $25.
This tournament features Rat City All Stars, Rat City’s Rain of Terror, Terminal City All Stars, Terminal City B-Side, Rose City Axles of Annihilation, Montreal Sexpos and Rocky Mountain Contenders.
We end yet another epic season of SOC with a movie that truly needs no introduction, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. You may want to start grooming your trusty old Chewie costume now.
FOOD: Taco Time NW‘s Taco Time Traveler & Full Tilt Ice Cream
“Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat arises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a ragtag group of heroes can stop them, along with the help of the Resistance.”
JOIN this event to get all the breaking news on food trucks, raffle prizes, entertainment and more as they’re announced!
The preshow gets started at 8pm behind the Skyway 7-Eleven in the US Bank parking lot. Don’t forget to bring a comfy chair or blanket (or picnic table, or beanbag) and some cash for the concession stand (there is a US Bank ATM on premises, if you prefer). Movie starts at 9pm with a raffle to follow.
GeekGirlCon will be tabling at this event! Come by and say hi!
7:00pm-10:45pm, Wayward Coffeehouse, 6417 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA
For this GeekGirlCon game night, there’ll be a special host and theme!
Do you love board games and enjoy teaching others how to play? Explore the board/card game hobby and meet folks happy to teach you their favorite board games! Come and play with folks who love playing games. And the best part about the GeekGirlCon game nights with our friends at Wayward? They are absolutely FREE with no cover charge!
Bring a game with you or just bring yourself. Join GeekGirlCon staffers, make some new friends, play some games, and enjoy some delicious organic, fair trade, and shade-grown coffee.
Experience FREE movies outdoors at Seattle Center this summer. Picnic on the gently sloping Mural Amphitheatre lawn, in front of a state-of-the-art 40-foot screen, with the Space Needle looming above. The series features popular movies, both classic and contemporary, appropriate for all-ages. Movies at the Mural is an outdoor cinema experience like no other!
Based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel, this coming-of-age tale recounts the adventures of Pi, an Indian boy who is the sole survivor of a shipwreck. While cast away, Pi is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery as he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.
1:00pm-6:00pm, Evergreen Park, 1400 Park Avenue, Bremerton
Free admission!
The one event you don’t wanna miss… KITSAP COUNTY’s 1st ANNUAL PACIFIC ISLANDER FESTIVAL…FREE & ALL AGES WELCOME!! There will be a couple Halau’s, Live Island Reggae Bands jamming out through the event, Ono Grindz and various Vendors… We will also have Dj seattlesfynest spinning all the island rhythms… Island people come together as one, for future generations under the sun!
If you haven’t purchased your passes for GeekGirlCon ’16, it’s time to get onto it now! We are expecting another amazing, sold-out convention, so jump online and get your passes today.
Passes are available for one day or the whole weekend at the following prices:
One-day kids (aged 6-12) pass: $10.00
One-day adult pass: $30.00
Two-day adult pass: $45.00
As usual, little geeks aged 0-5 get in both days for free!
Image source: GeekGirlCon Flickr
If you’d prefer talking to a person to buy your passes, we will be producing a limited run of hard copy passes to be available in some brick-and-mortar stores as we get closer to the convention. But why wait? With two and a half days of awesome programming, astounding scientific experiments, fabulous guest contributors, delightful games, amazing exhibitors AND an entirely new fourth floor of goodness to explore, you might as well buy now to guarantee that we’ll be seeing you on October 8 and 9.
Passes are available from our online store now, so get yours today! Hurry to avoid disappointment; at these prices, they won’t last long!
After a very long and difficult deliberation, our panels for this year’s convention have been decided, and now we are excited to show you what’s in store for you. Over the next few weeks, we will introduce some of the panels that will be featured at GeekGirlCon ’16!
One of the major areas of geekery that we love here at GeekGirlCon are the sciences. Although we have an amazing DIY Science Zone every year, and our #DIYSciFilm Livetweet events are always a hoot, we also have a huge range of science panels coming up this year. Below are a few samples of what you might see when you come to the convention on October 8 and 9.
Check out these awesome events around Seattle this summer! GAT will now also feature events that are going on throughout the month, so you can plan ahead!
Oftentimes when we think of geeky topics, things like video games and comics come to mind. However, one of the panels set up at GeekGirlCon ’15 by GeekGirlConnections featured a mixture of women from various Washington state scholarship, seeking to answer the question, “What does it take, as a woman, to have a career in STEM?”
The panel consisted of six women working in various areas of science and technology. Erika Harnett has a Ph.D. in physics, and works in computer simulations. Erika Wagner wrote a Ph.D. how to keep humans healthy on the way to Mars, but she also added that “but now I sell rockets”. Beth Linz is a graduate of Central Washington University with a background in computer science, and now works as software engineer. Jamie Waldock holds a MA in aerospace engineering, and is a test engineer at Aerojet Rocketdyne (working on propulsion). Irina Menn is the founder and CEO of Hopela, a mobile app to connect local orgs and millennials for donation; she holds degrees in science and computer science. Finally, Christine Washburn is a professor of physics from Everett Community College.
Check out these awesome events around Seattle this summer! GAT will now also feature events that are going on throughout the month, so you can plan ahead!
Named one of CNN’s Top Ten “Global Must-See Exhibitions,” The Art of the Brick exhibit by artist Nathan Sawaya is a critically acclaimed collection of inspiring artworks made exclusively from one of the most recognizable toys in the world: the LEGO® brick. From child’s toy to sophisticated art form and beyond, the world’s largest display of LEGO art ever features original pieces as well as re-imagined versions of the world’s most famous art masterpieces like Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa as well as a gallery showcasing an innovative, multimedia collection of LEGO brick infused photography produced in tandem with award-winning photographer Dean West.
Tickets $27 adults, $27 students (with ID), $21 youth (5-17)
Fifty years after a show with modest ratings called Star Trek first aired, its stories continue to echo worldwide. Its famous opening line, “To boldly go where no one has gone before…” encapsulates the heart of this iconic series: the dare to hope for a better world.
As part of the franchise’s 50th anniversary celebrations, Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds presents the phenomenon, its enduring impact on our culture, and how Star Trek has inspired people to imagine, explore, and create.
More so than spaceships and phasers, the one quality that defines Star Trek is optimism. Creator Gene Roddenberry imagined a 23rd century in which humanity had eliminated the divisions that characterized his own time. By using alien worlds, interspecies conflicts, and sci-fi premises to make statements about war, racism, and politics, Star Trek revolutionized the impact popular culture could have on our society.
Photo courtesy of CBS Consumer Products
Discover the beloved series all over again in this fully immersive exhibit, featuring more than 100 artifacts and props from the five Star Trek television series, spin-offs, and films, including set pieces from the original series like Captain Kirk’s command chair and the navigation console (on display for the first time to the public); Kirk, Spock, Uhura, and McCoy original series costumes; and the 6-foot U.S.S. Enterprise filming model from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Film is a powerful art form, and it is the experiences we have with film that can transform our lives. SIFF does just that: our mission is to create experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world. It is through the art of cinema that we foster a community that is more informed, aware, and alive.
The Filipino Cultural Heritage Society of Washington (FCHSW) proudly presents Pagdiriwang, commemorating the anniversary of Philippine Independence. Held on the first or second week of June at the Seattle Center since 1987, the event has grown into the biggest festival of Filipino arts and culture in the Pacific Northwest. Pagdiriwang provides a venue for Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike to learn about the culture. It is an ideal setting for presenting art, craft, song, dance, music, history, literature, and culture to promote better understanding of the Filipino cultural heritage.
7:00pm-10:45pm, Wayward Coffeehouse, 6417 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA
Do you love board games and enjoy teaching others how to play? Explore the board/card game hobby and meet folks happy to teach you their favorite board games! Come and play with folks who love playing games. And the best part about the GeekGirlCon game nights with our friends at Wayward? They are absolutely FREE with no cover charge!
Bring a game with you or just bring yourself. Join GeekGirlCon staffers, make some new friends, play some games, and enjoy some delicious organic, fair trade, and shade-grown coffee.
Festival Sundiata is a free festival celebrating all art forms from the African diaspora. You’re going to love this festival! Music, food, non profit tables, Art exhibit, cooking demonstrations , interactive activities, Vendors with one of a kind items for sale dance and dance instructions, Zumba and much much more.
Upon her election to the US Senate in 1916, Jeanette Rankin remarked, “I may be the first woman member of Congress, but I won’t be the last.” Now, 100 years later, women represent a larger portion of the legislative and executive branches than ever before. According to TIME political correspondent Jay Newton-Small, their presence is affecting not only how the federal government operates (remember the blizzard in DC this January?), but also how Americans live and work. She’ll share conversations from offices around the capital city and deals made across the political divide by women (like Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton) hoping to create change. She’ll also shed light on how women across America can most effectively use their (highly sought after) vote this election season.
EMP, the National STEM Video Game Challenge, and Institute of Museum and Library Services invite homeschool families for a video game design workshop.
Workshop participants will:
• Level up from video game players to video game designers
• Complete hands-on, minds-on, physical game design exercises
• Design original video games and modify existing games
• Play-test each other’s games to provide feedback
• Tour EMP’s Indie Game Revolution exhibit
• Learn how to enter the STEM Challenge
Registration includes participation in the day’s events and museum admission for the day.
Classes are suitable for students 8–14 years of age. Parents are asked to be active participant in the workshop classes for the full program from 12:30pm–4:00pm.
This workshop is BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). A laptop computer capable of web browsing and using Adobe Flash Player is required, as families will be learning the basics of Gamestar Mechanic. If you would like to participate but do not have a laptop computer, please contact us and we will do our best to accommodate you.
6:00pm-10:00pm, Mox Boarding House, 13310 BelRed Rd, Bellevue, WA
Our All Geeks, All Games events are growing in popularity! Join GeekGirlCon and Mox Boarding House in Bellevue and help us continue to expand our community of diverse and inclusive gamers to the East Side!
Help us fill that beautiful Tournament Room with folks enjoying our favorite games in a safe and accepting atmosphere. Why mess with the headache of traffic when you can come and play games with us instead.
Staff from both organizations will be on hand to help facilitate gameplay for the shy to the extroverted, from the expert strategist to the board game neophyte. With a huge lending library of games on hand, there will be something for everyone!
As an added bonus, if you play a board game from their library and love it, you can buy a fresh copy for 20% off! How cool is that?!
This festival is a collaborative effort of the many Native community groups in the greater Seattle area, bringing together a showcase of the culture and tradition of American Indians, Alaska Natives and First Nations People!
A traditional Pow Wow will take place at the Mural Amphitheatre stage and surrounding grounds in the afternoon, beginning with a grand entry at 1:00pm and including a host drum and pow wow exhibition dances. Everyone is invited and welcome to join – intertribals, tiny tots, and social dances. This is a rare opportunity for the general public and visitors of the Seattle Center to experience a glimpse of the Native Pow Wow outside tribal settings.
This year, we hope to add another element to the festival highlighting the beauty and cultural richness of the Native Canoe Journey through the Canoe Family Exhibit. Families and groups who have participated in canoe journeys are invited to display their histories, documentaries, and canoes! For many of the general public visitors to the Seattle Center grounds, this will be the only opportunity for them to witness the amazing stories of our Canoe Family journeys and history!
Urban Craft Uprising is Seattle’s favorite craft show, established in 1995. At UCU, fans can choose from a wide variety of hand-crafted goods, including clothing of all types, jewelry, gifts, bags, wallets, buttons, accessories, aprons, children’s goods, toys, housewares, furniture, paper goods, candles, kits, geekery, art, food, and much, much more.
https://youtu.be/IHbA6dMS49E
This favorite Seattle craft show is carefully curated and juried to ensure the best mix of crafts and arts, along with quality and originality. This bi-annual show features over 150 vendors excelling in the world of craft, art and design.
Urban Craft Uprising aims to build a local (and beyond) community of artists, crafters and designers by organizing and providing events where indie crafters and artists can connect with their fans. In addition, Urban Craft Uprising promotes other community building activities, including our crafting shows, showcases, classes, events, sponsorships, online presence and other local activities.
Since its inception, the internet has morphed from merely an extension of traditional media into its own full-fledged society. In a relatively short amount of time, it has developed into a massive force in our world. New York Times journalist, Virginia Heffernan counts it as one of “mankind’s great masterpieces.” Whether we like it or not, our lives have been transformed by this fascinating place, but its deep logic, cultural potential, and societal impact often elude us. Heffernan will discuss her new book, Magic and Loss, which explores the logic and aesthetics of the highly visual, social, and portable life online. The medium favors speed, accuracy, wit, and versatility, and its form and functions are changing how we perceive, experience, and understand the world.
Although GeekGirlCon is unique in a variety of different ways, you can enhance your con experience by helping us out! We have just opened our applications for agents (and special agents) for GeekGirlCon ’16!
What is an agent, you ask? Agents are our army of volunteer helpers who do a range of awesome tasks. From answering questions from convention attendees to setting up A/V equipment or leading games of pictionary, agents are there to make sure that our con runs smoothly and that everyone has an awesome time.
GeekGirlCon is entirely volunteer-run, and at convention time we really need help to fill out our ranks! Last year, we had 150-180 volunteer agents, and this year, with the fourth floor expansion, we’ll have room for more.
Interested? All we ask is that you’re over 16, are enthusiastic about our mission and are available to work for part of October 8-9. Apply here before July 1st! We’d love to have you at the con!
