GeekGirlCon Blog

Geek About Town: August

August is right at our heels, my fellow geeks! It’s sunny, it’s hot, it’s the perfect time to get out and about and explore some of the incredible events our lovely city has to offer! (Though, it’s just as good a time to stay inside a temperature-controlled house all day and fully submit to a combination of gaming/reading/TV-marathoning. Just saying.) Without further ado, here’s what’s coming up in August:

Image Description: A gif from the TV series “Golden Girls” of a person spraying themselves with a spray bottle in a kitchen. Source: Giphy.

Wednesday, August 1st – Friday, August 3rd: Daily Vigils at Seattle ICE Office

• 8:00am – 10:00am
• 1000 2nd Ave
  1000 2nd Ave, Seattle, Washington 98104
• Join us for daily weekday (M-F) VIGIL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS in front of the Seattle ICE office, 1000 2nd Ave (between Spring and Madison in downtown Seattle).
  
  We are a group of concerned human beings who gather every day in front of the Seattle offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
  
  Many of us are here from 8 to 10 am every workday, but we encourage people to come any time between 8am and 6 pm, or later. Bring your friends. Bring a sign if you can. Our goal is to be a constant visual reminder that we repudiate ICE’s/CBP’s activities. Our presence is peaceful and we are not engaging in civil disobedience.
  
  Every day at this address, ICE and CBP agents report to work, and immigrants arrive for hearings at the Seattle Immigration Court on the 25th floor. ICE’s lawyers are on the 29th floor; its investigators, who work in joint task forces with Seattle Police and the King County Sheriff under the name of “Homeland Security Investigations,” or HSI, are on the 23rd floor. CBP, also known as the Border Patrol, has its Seattle field office on the 22nd floor. There are also other offices in the building unrelated to immigration enforcement.
  
  The U.S. government continues to subject migrants and refugees to an organized campaign of cruelty and abuse. For years, it has broken up families, detained migrants in inhuman conditions, and frustrated the right to asylum. Under President Trump, it has seized children from parents, threatened migrant families with indefinite detention, declared victims of gang violence and domestic violence ineligible for asylum, and slashed the number of refugee admissions. These policies are accompanied by a rhetoric of hate targeting migrants and refugees.
  
  Our government’s policies, implemented by ICE and CBP, violate fundamental rights to asylum, due process, and family life. They cause anguish, terror, and lasting psychological harm. They threaten the safety and well-being of children. We will not rest until our government respects the human rights of migrants and refugees.
  
  We call on our leaders to end the systematic mistreatment of migrants and refugees. We call on public employees to refuse to implement or assist such mistreatment. We call on our fellow human beings to oppose it with all their might.

Wednesday, August 1st: Science and a Movie: Honey I Shrunk The Kids

• 7:00pm – 10:00pm
• Central Cinema
  1411 21st Ave, Seattle, Washington 98122
• Presented in collaboration with Pacific Science Center.
  
  Join Pacific Science Center and Central Cinema as we show the Disney family favorite “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” paired with a talk by Rae Eaton, research scientist with The Bush Lab and president of Women in Chemical Sciences at the University of Washington.
  
  Making Prototypes: Out of the Garage, Into the Lab: Building a shrink ray is harder than it looks. It takes a lot more than a few home tools and wires to turn an idea into a prototype. Rae discusses the challenges home inventors can run into, and explores the benefits a lab offers versus working by oneself in their garage.
  
  Rae Eaton is a 4th year graduate student in the University of Washington’s Department of Chemistry and president of Women in Chemical Sciences at the University of Washington. Working under Prof. Matt Bush, Rae designs, constructs, and tests new scientific instruments to understand the shape of proteins and their interactions with other chemicals and proteins, all to help research the causes of and treatments for chronic diseases. Her work focuses on studying current instruments and techniques to maximize the precision and accuracy of these tests. Since a home laboratory is currently out of her price range, Rae spends her free time baking, knitting, and otherwise learning about any craft that involves making things.

Thursday, August 2nd: August Artwalk!

• 5:00pm – 8:00pm
• The Michael Birawer Gallery – Seattle
  1003 1st Ave, Seattle, Washington 98104
• For the month of August we have a killer ‘Double Feature’! Two amazing, fresh, exciting urban artists.
  Joshua Monuteaux brings us his recycled, re-purposed, mixed media material pop art pieces. Phillipé Ducasse comes at us with emotional, colorful, incredible paintings entitled, “beautifuL sLum”!
  
  This is a pretty sweet show and we are over-the-top crazy about it! Yes, you will be too.
  
  Come hang out, grab a beverage and meet these two amazing artists.
  
  And don’t forget, we got original works by Uyen Tran-Gjerde, Brooke Borcherding, Arlon Rosenoff, Alexandra Wass, Cheryl Zahniser, Patri O’Connor, Keegan Hall, C.A. Pierce.
  
  See you all Thursday, August 2!

Friday, August 3rd: Potterless LIVE IN SEATTLE!

• 7:00pm
• Jet City Improv
  5510 University Way NE, Seattle, Washington 98105
• Joined by Seattle improvisers Nathan Cox and Alison Luhrs, Mike is bringing the show on the road! For the first hour, they will discuss part of Deathly Hallows, and after intermission, there will be a Q&A!

Saturday, August 4th: Let’s Talk Abortion: Seattle

• 12:00pm – 2:00pm
• Peddler Brewing Company
  1514 NW Leary Way, Seattle, Washington 98107
• Join Exhale Pro-Voice, NARAL Pro-Choice WA and Repro Health Happy Hour Seattle for an afternoon of empowering conversation on reproductive choice and the pro-voice story sharing philosophy.
  
  Exhale, an after abortion counseling talkline, has been engaged in listening to callers with abortion experiences for over 15 years. Our pro-voice approach provides the space to listen without judgment and to create a brave and respectful space for our callers.
  
  Under the leadership of our new Executive Director, Susan Chorley, we are sharing our pro-voice model through storytelling events and community conversations across the country.
  
  The time for open and honest sharing across difference is now. It is through open-hearted conversations and personal stories that we can create community and bridge the abortion divide, using radical empathy and authentic listening.
  
  We’re thrilled to be hosted by Peddler brewing company, a family-friendly space with delicious beer on tap and a food truck on site. Join us in the outdoor beer garden for this afternoon of abortion story sharing and conversation.

Saturday, August 4th: Botnik Live!

• 7:00pm – 9:00pm
• The Lab at Ada’s
  425 15th Ave E, Seattle, Washington 98112
• Join the writers and engineers of Botnik Studios (creators of this predictive text Harry Potter chapter and this computer-generated Coachella poster) along with their friends for a night of readings, sketches, songs and interactive experiments at The Lab.
  
  Featuring performances from:
  
  Jamie Brew – CEO of Botnik and former head writer at Clickhole
  
  Elle O’Brien – Consulting Chief Scientist at Botnik
  
  Kai Curtis – Master of Text Scraping at Botnik
  
  And special guests!
  
  Doors open at 7:00pm, show begins at 7:30pm. Full bar available, 21+ with ID.

Saturday, August 4th – Sunday, August 26th: Star Wars Outdoors: A New Hope in the Park

• 7:00pm – 9:00pm
• Blanche Lavizzo Park
  2100 South Jackson Street, Seattle, Washington 98144
• A short time from now, in a park very close to here, Hello Earth will bring you the first segment in a galactic saga of rebellion, family, and friendship. Like Outdoor Trek the past seven years, A New Hope uses creative casting and innovative stage techniques to bring this classic film to life!
  
  Families welcome. Hot dogs for sale most days. Come join the Rebellion!

Sunday, August 5th: August Macabre Market

• 2:00pm – 7:00pm
• 1009 E Union St, Seattle, WA 98122-3824, United States
• Come out and join us for the very first Macabre Market! Celebrate the dark side of life with vendors selling jewelry, art and clothing. The bar will be open! 21+ only, non-smoking. Come be our guests!
  
  Our event takes place at The Mercury @ Machinewerks. Mercury is a private club for members and their guests.
  
  August vendors include:
  
  Half-Caff Crochet
  City Street Vomit
  Blessed Beads Jewelry
  Capybara Cafe
  Ground by the Sound
  Bawdy Love
  Kinky Bricks
  ScarletRabbit
  Psychopomp Designs
  The poshness monster
  Son of Dawn
  Icon Alchemy
  Hidden From The Light Studios
  Merlyn’s Realm Spirit Boards
  Tormented Artifacts
  Miniature Wytche Tarot
  Swamp Swag Creations
  
  Come out and see us!

Friday, August 10th – Sunday, August 26th: As You Like It (Shakespeare in Volunteer Park)

• 2:00pm – 4:00pm, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
• REBATEnsemble Theatre Group
  1900 NW 89th St, Seattle, Washington 98117
• Banished from her uncles shiny tech megacorp, Rosalind decides to seek herself (and her father) in the great outdoors, armed with nothing but trail mix, her loyal cousin Celia, and her wit. Disguised as a young man and his sister, the pair ventures out of the city theyve always known into a mystical place known as the Forest of Arden, where they encounter a strange cast of characters, including the lovestruck Orlando, who has escaped to the forest in order to avoid his brothers wrath. Music, poetry, and love unite in this compelling journey of community and self-discovery, set against the backdrop of the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
  
  We return to Volunteer Park (where we last played “THE TEMPEST”) for Shakespeare’s famous gender-bender love comedy. Audiences will literally follow Rosalind and Orlando into the “forest of Arden” because, well, why not? “All the world’s a stage” after all. Bring your walking shoes, picnic blankets, and arm chairs and end the summer with us and Shakespeare in the Park! Featuring a score of original songs, dancing, singing and even some Judo.
  
  CREATIVE / CAST
  
  Director – Megan Brewer
  Stage Manager – Rebecca Hsia
  Assistant Director – Hannah Hadjes
  Costume Design – Amelia Wade
  Production Manager – Rojo Davis
  Fight Choreographer – Tom Dang
  
  Featuring the talents of:
  Mara Palma
  Alanah Pascual
  Chris Wong
  Frank Sun
  Season Qiu
  Duncan Pound
  Hannah Prendergast
  John Han
  Andrew Forrest
  Morgan Patton
  Nick Eveland
  Buddy Todd
  
  Tickets Available at the Door
  SUGGESTED DONATION: $15
  ***For a guaranteed seat, please consider visiting www.rebatensemble.org and registering at the suggested donation price

Saturday, August 11th: Rainbow Remix!

• 6:00pm – 9:00pm
• The Vera Project
  Warren and Republican, Seattle, Washington 98109
• Rainbow Remix is a Family Event for all ages
  Celebrating LGBTQ+ children & families ?❤
  
  Cat Valley
  https://catvalley.bandcamp.com/
  
  WIGS
  
  Dj Christian Science
  
  Art by: Kaya Nieves, James Meyers, Fennec Nightingale and Lucia Santos
  Photos by Jordan Nicholson of Gender Family Alliance for Li’l Woody’s
  
  Benefitting:
  Gender Family Alliance
  and the Rainbow Book Fund for Seattle Public Schools
  
  The Vera Project
  6-9 pm
  $5
  *Collecting Period Supplies for One Million Tampons

Friday, August 10th: GeekGirlCon Board Game Night at Wayward Coffeehouse!

• 7pm – 10:45pm

• Wayward Coffeehouse
• 6417 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
• 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 (http://www.geekgirlcon.com/) game nights with our friends at Wayward (http://www.waywardcoffee.com/)? They are absolutely FREE with no cover charge!

Monday, August 13th: Letter Writing Night

• 7:00pm – 9:00pm
• The Hillman City Collaboratory
  5623 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, Washington 98118
• We’re back! We’ve found an accessible safe place we can regular host letter writing nights in! Join us to write letters to prisoners of war and political prisoners. We’ll also be talking about the upcoming #August21 prisoner strike so bring your questions and enthusiasm about abolishing prisons! This is also a good time to bring any general prisoner support questions you might have. We will also be providing all the supplies.
  
  Rain City ABC and Hillman City are committed in providing safe and accessible place. There are two ADA compliant all gender bathrooms. We ask that folx come as scent free as possible and sober. We look forward to seeing you!

Saturday, August 18th – Sunday, August 19th: Seattle Mini Maker Faire 2018

• 10:00am

• Museum of Pop Culture
  325 5th Ave N, Seattle, Washington 98109
  
  Seattle Mini Maker Faire is the greatest show (and tell) on earth! Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, Maker Faire is a gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. You won’t want to miss it!

Friday, August 17th – Sunday, August 19th: Seattle Hempfest Festival

• 12:00pm
• Seattle Hempfest
  3130 Alaska Way, Seattle, Washington 98121
• Join us Friday August 17, High noon – 8 PM & Saturday/Sunday August 18 – 19, 10:00 am – 8:00 PM for three days of more freedom than you’ll find anyplace else on earth!
  
  Our 4 stages will feature hundreds of bands & speakers to entertain and feed your brain knowledge about cannabis law reform and where we are with our burgeoning legalization. Our Stage Schedules are https://www.hempfest.org/festival/schedule/
  
  Seattle’s Hempfest features ~400 vending booths along 3 gorgeous Seattle waterfront parks. You can check out our Vendor Directory https://www.hempfest.org/festival/directory/
  
  Have you booked your stay yet? Or having trouble to find the best deal? Well, we have you covered! HERE is an accommodation map where you can find the best deals for your stay and being close to the action. Book ASAP! Rooms are filling fast! https://www.hempfest.org/festival/accommodations/
  
  Our new NO WAIT entrance, The West Thomas Street Pedestrian and Bicycle Overpass, is accessible at 3rd Ave W & W Harris Streets just north of Seattle Center. This new entrance has great parking potential being just 4 blocks north of Key Arena. It’ll take you across the busy Elliot & Western Avenues, and drop you right in Main Stage! Take The West Thomas Street Pedestrian and Bicycle Overpass!
  
  Do you want a safe and secure place to store your things while you attend Seattle Hempfest? Personal lockers will be available so you can free up your hands and avoid losing any personal items during the fest. They’re only $15 and need to be booked in advance before they sell out! Full info https://www.hempfest.org/festival/locker-rental/
  
  General attendee information https://www.hempfest.org/festival/attendees/
  
  Want to vend? Full info https://www.hempfest.org/get-involved/vending/
  
  Seattle Hempfest is free, but free speech is not. Suggested donation is $10 per day – remember to give as the Hempfest you save is your own!

Thursday, August 23rd: An Evening with Ellen Degeneres

• 8:00pm
• Benaroya Hall
  200 University St, Seattle, Washington 98101
• Sale Dates and Times:
  
  Public Onsale : Fri, 22 Jun 2018 at 10:00 AM

Friday, August 24th: GeekGirlCon Board Game Night at Wayward Coffeehouse!

• 7pm – 10:45pm

• Wayward Coffeehouse
• 6417 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
• 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 (http://www.geekgirlcon.com/) game nights with our friends at Wayward (http://www.waywardcoffee.com/)? They are absolutely FREE with no cover charge!

Hanna Hupp
“Rock On!”