This Friday and Saturday, GeekFest will take over the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery.
Like past years, GeekFest will be packed full of events, vendors, special guests, treats, costumes and more. But this year, organizers have turned GeekFest into a two-day event.
Boonshoft's Jason Heaton gave us the scoop on the delightfully nerdy activities you can take participate on Friday night and Saturday (Family Day).
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Wizarding School
Fans of a certain bespectacled boy wizard won’t want to miss GeekFest’s Wizarding School events on Friday night. Heaton says the planetarium will be turned into a Great Hall.
“We're going to have a chemistry experiment, which we call ‘potions,’” says Heaton. “We'll have astronomy class and at the same time we’ll play Quidditch on the dome of the planetarium. One person will be elected to stand in the middle and actually 'fly' around. That's something really unique.”
Wizard School will also include magic wand making for little kids and a special animal show.
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Orc & Pie
Another fun activity taking place only on Friday night is GeekFest’s staple 5-minute D&D adventure, Orc & Pie.
In this quick live action role-playing experience, participants will be transformed into heroes… heroes hungry for pie! Will they defeat the fearsome Orc and loot his confectionery treat? Find out at GeekFest. (Hint: the heroes win the pie).
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Special guests
Both Friday and Saturday at GeekFest willf eature exciting guests.
Nate Lovett, a professional children’s book illustrator who’s done work for Nickelodeon’s Paw Patrol and more, will be giving “Let’s Draw” presentations both days.
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Cincinnati-based sci fi author Wendy Vogel, whose novel Horizon Alpha features dinosaurs on other planets, will be giving a presentation in Boonshoft's planetarium on Saturday. "She added some science, so they're based on real planets," explains Heaton. "Wendy's not only going to talk about her book, but we're also going to fly to those planets. I'm looking forward to showing off the science behind them."
As in previous years, Ohio's 501st Legion Star Wars cosplayers and the Real Ohio Ghostbusters will also be at GeekFest.
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Gaming
Of course, all of your gaming urges can be satisfied at GeekFest.
A full-on video game arcade, featuring cabinet games brought in by DK Effect, Gaming Adventures, and Doug's Electronic Repair, will be in full effect Friday and Saturday.
If cardboard delights are more your speed, a room devoted entirely to tabletop games will be available, with games generously provided by GeekFest staff and the Wittenberg RPG Guild.
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Credit: Larry Peck
Credit: Larry Peck
Trivia
“On Saturday, we're going to have geek Jeopardy like we've had in the past,” Jason Heaton tells Dayton.com. “We’re also going to try Harry Potter Jeopardy this year for the first time.”
“Beat the Geek” trivia will be another opportunity to show off your nerd brain.
Blast off into outer space
Also going on in the planetarium is Boonshoft's regular live show, The Sky Tonight, about the astronomical bodies visible from earth on a given evening. Heaton says there will be "a few other surprises in the planetarium, as well."
“There's going to be a full-blown R2D2 replica a guy named Josh Montgomery built from scratch,” brags Heaton. “He's going to show it off and talk about it in the Planetarium early on Saturday morning.”
Credit: Provided by Boonshoft
Credit: Provided by Boonshoft
More!
We've barely scratched the surface of all the exciting things going on at GeekFest this Friday and Saturday. There are also cool geeky vendors like Bell Book and Comic and No Limit Gaming, food trucks both days, and even costume contests. You will not want to miss GeekFest. It's one of Dayton's best events of the year!
Want to go?
WHAT: Boonshoft GeekFest
WHEN: 6-10 p.m. Friday, April 20 and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 21
WHERE: Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, 2600 Deweese Pkwy, Dayton
COST: Friday night, $20/person, tickets here. Saturday, free with regular museum admission.
INFO: www.boonshoftmuseum.org or 937-275-7431