This Week in Geek (5/18/2026–5/24/2026)

Jump to: 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, May 18, to Sunday, May 24. 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 [email protected] with your concerns. In-Person Events The Hobbit What: Theater & Comedy When: Now through Sunday, May 31 Where: Theatre in the Round “Join a band of storytellers in the not-so-distant-future, as they tell the story of Bilbo Baggins in this inventive adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s classic tale.” Tickets are $20–29, and there is a pay-what-you-can

Rochester Pride

How Citizen Scientists Can Help the National Weather Service Track Weather Patterns

As summer descends on us winter-weary Minnesotans, so does severe weather season. The months of May to August are typically when we see the highest chances of thunderstorms and tornadoes, with June and July being generally the most active months for regular storms. As we navigate these storms, one of the ways the National Weather Service (NWS) has been able to get and analyze information and trends is through active citizen scientists who volunteer as part of the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS). Here in Minnesota, the State Climatology Office is putting out the call for more participants to join the program. The National Weather Service, which operates as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is responsible for providing real-time weather alerts for events like floods, hurricanes, severe storms, tornadoes, blizzards, and extreme heat—information that is necessary for public safety and vital for saving