Revenge of the nerds: GEEK.KON back for second year

Ready to get your geek on?

GEEK.KON, a convention designed for video game aficionados, sci-fi devotees and “Dance Dance Revolution” mavens, will be held this weekend at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for the second straight year.

Last year’s convention, organized by a UW–Madison registered student organization, was a major, out-of-left-field success, with attendance of more than 1,800 people from campus and around the Midwest.

This year, the event will be held in the Mosse Humanities Building, 455 N. Park St., and expand into additional space in Vilas Hall, 821 University Ave. More than 500 people have pre-registered, and additional free registrations will be taken at the door.

As in the past, organizers embrace the “geek” mantle and are interested in showing off their subculture to the broader community.

“Even if you don’t know a lot about geek culture you can come and find out,” says Natalie Mainland, a UW–Madison junior and GEEK.KON volunteer coordinator. “If you’re already a geek, you can come meet other geeks and possibly learn something new.”

The event will have numerous new and returning events, familiar to those steeped in “geek-itude,” including a “Rock Band” video game tournament, a game called “Matrix Tag” and a “steampunk”-themed mystery, hosted by Steam Country. The game will be an interactive murder-mystery set in an era in which steam power is still widely used.

“In a steampunk universe, someone may have found ways to create modern technology using steam power or clockwork, ” she says. “They usually have things like blimps instead of airplanes and things like that.”

Returning events range from sci-fi movie viewings, “Dance Dance Revolution,” board games, magic and even costumes.

“We’re really hoping that since we have more space, we can accommodate more people,” Mainland adds. “We want to put on a convention that’s even bigger and better than last year.”

The second annual GEEK.KON will be funded in part by a Wisconsin Experience grant, and additional funding and support comes from the No Brand Kon, another convention. The event will be held Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 27 and 28, starting at 8 a.m. each day. Visit this site for complete details.