This Week in Geek: Zombies, The Fair Folk, and Your Firstborn

A showcase of this week's finest geek and geek related activities for the week. Mark your calendars.

"Well, a puppet is controlled by a person. And I'm an actual talking frog."
(image by Chris Hsia)

Tuesday

• Muppets - Jim Henson: More than the Muppets - Washington, DC - 6:45PM
• Ok, so maybe not muppets? Depending on who you ask, Jim Henson was everything from a brilliant creator to the very crafter of childhood joy. Seriously. Ask anyone who grew up as a Muppet addict, and you will find feels that run deeper than most of us would really ever admit. But the Smithsonian has invited his biographer, Brian Jay Jones to speak about the truly extraordinary man and provide a rare glimpse into his intensely private life. The session is sold out, but there is a waiting list, and more sessions may be added, so keep an eye out.

Friday

• Cabaret - Cabaret Macabre: Opening Night - Silver Spring, MD - 8:00PM
• The fourth annual Cabaret Macabre is brought to you by the Round House Theater. You have to love the Washington Post's take on the show as a "Gorey illustration brought to life." Dark, nightmarish, and deadly flare are blended with the comedic vignettes and striking Victorian styles. More information is available at the Happenstance Theater, and you can purchase tickets at The Round House Theater's Silver Spring site.

Saturday

• Zombie 5k - Blood and Guts Run - Centreville, VA - first heat is 9:00AM
• Here, right here, is why you should ante up and go, “Tickets are $79.00, with discounts available for teachers, students, police officers, firefighters, nurses and emergency management services personnel. Proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society, Military and Veterans Association and local school districts.” Also, zombies. Do some good, prep for the apocalypse, and have a good run.

Motivation if ever we saw it.
(image by Katie Crommett)

• Multiple Events - Raven's Night - Alexandria, VA - Doors open at 5:00PM
• What would a good story be without villains, especially a wholesome story for children? Without Maleficent, would Aurora have grown to a brat who resented her arranged marriage, never realizing the love that could have grown between her and Phillip? Tales need villains, and this week at the Birchmere, Belladonna is presenting a performance that honors villainesses in their shining moments of triumph through live music and belly dancing (to echo the site's disclaimer: not suitable for all ages).

• Steam/Fae Punk - Goblins and Gears Masquerade Ball - Glen Burnie, MD - 8:00PM
• A chance to dress up? Doesn't matter if it's Halloween, there's always a reason to be found to throw on that gorgeous set of new goggles and head out to the airship. This year's ball melds steampunk with another beautiful chance to showcase your more stunning or terrifying outfits. The theme is the mishap of the Fae return. "Elves are glamorous. They project glamour. Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment. Elves are terrific. They beget terror." (Pratchett)

• Pub Crawl - Halloween on M Street - Washington, DC -  5:00PM to 1:00AM
• This will sell out if it hasn't already. Every holiday can be improved upon with a solid pub crawl. Puns aside, with nearly thirty locations involved in the Bacardi- and Coors-backed event, you could stage your own recreation of The World's End. Except, hopefully without having to drunkenly fight a robot army. The link above will take you to advance, discount tickets, but as always Facebook has the hook up for all the gritty details. So head to the pub, grab [many] pints, and wait for this whole thing to blow over.

Longer Term

• Kid-Friendly Halloween - Boo at the Zoo - Washington, DC - Friday, Saturday, Sunday
• There's three events, each day between 5:30 and 8:30PM - so after dark but in time to get your geeklings in bed at a decent time. The event is specifically aimed at ages 2 through 12. If your kid is a hard sell on trick-or-treating events like this one, here are a few ideas for your pitch: they'll get their candy days before the kids wandering the streets on Halloween night, and they'll likely get more candy. Honestly, how many houses are really going to leave the lights on for a mid-week barrage of kids? Guaranteed candy and a lot less walking. Win / win.

Did we miss something? If you have an event you’d like to promote that isn’t on this list, leave a comment or email us.  Other weekly recurring events are listed on our website (such as Rocky,  CCG tournaments, crazy themed happy hours). For more information, check out the calendars at DC Geeks.