Nine Nerdy Things to Do This March in Metro Phoenix

Geeks of the Valley, it’s a good time to get out and do something. Granted, new seasons of such nerd-friendly shows as Star Trek: Picard, The Mandalorian, and Shadow and Bone might seem hard to resist, but there’s life this month beyond staying glued to your couch.

And we’re talking about truly nerdy experiences

During the next few weeks, you can attend a lecture by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, put your knowledge of The X-Files to good use, celebrate Pi Day, or catch a retrospective of music from the Final Fantasy series. Other options include Tempe’s annual Geeks Night Out sci-tech event and your last chance to check out a popular anime-inspired art exhibition.

Mask Alive! Festival of Masks

Geeks know a thing or two about masks, so this annual festival covering face coverings and celebrating their role in Indigenous cultures feels right up the alley of local nerds. The three-hour event from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 5, at Mesa’s Pioneer Park, 526 East Main Street, will include a parade of puppets, live music, and the chance to win a mask created by local artist Zarco Guerrero. The entertainment lineup will include performances by Desert Dance Theater, Primavera Ballet Folklorico, and World Martial Arts Academy Lion Dance. Attendees are also encouraged to wear masks. It’s free to attend and more info is available here.

The X-Files Trivia Night

Unlike fictional FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, you won’t have to spend 11 seasons poking around in the dark with high-powered flashlights to uncover the answers behind such questions as “Who is Cancer Man?” or “What is the Syndicate?” The truth will be revealed on Wednesday, March 8, during The X-Files trivia night at Valley Bar, 130 North Central Avenue. Teams of up to six people can participate and prizes will be awarded to the X-Philes who can answer the most questions correctly. Sign-ups are at 6 p.m. and the competition starts at 7 p.m. It’s free to participate.

Neil deGrasse Tyson: Cosmic Collisions

When it comes to lectures, they don’t get any nerdier than the ones hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson. The high-profile astrophysicist, author, podcaster, science communicator, and all-around geek is bringing his Cosmic Collisions tour to Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 West Washington Street, on Thursday, March 9. His discussion will focus on how the collision of celestial objects (like when the Chicxulub asteroid slammed into Earth 66 million years ago and killed off the dinosaurs) has impacted our planet and the rest of the universe. Tyson takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $59.50 to $199.

The Brides of March

Costumes are required at the annual Brides of March bar crawl and urban prank, albeit get-ups that are more nuptial than nerdy. The gonzo event, which is organized by the freaks and geeks of Arizona Cacophony Society, involves hundreds of men and women donning wedding dresses and visiting a series of bars and drink spots in downtown Phoenix. Every type of bride imaginable has participated in previous crawls, including geeky versions inspired by Deadpool, The Punisher, or Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice. This year’s Brides of March is on Saturday, March 11, starting at noon. It’s free to join in the fun, but you’re on the hook for the cost of your costume and drinks. More details and the starting point can be found on the society’s website.

Mr.: ‘You Can Hear the Song of This Town’

Over the last few months, the Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N Central Avenue, has hosted the sprawling canvases and collages created by Japanese artist Mr. for his exhibition “You Can Hear the Song of This Town” in its Steele Gallery. The expansive works, which were inspired by anime and manga, are beyond colorful and populated by kawaii-style characters and delve into such cerebral thematic matter as tragedy, desire, and psychological anguish. One of the centerpieces is The Expanse of the Galaxy in a Corner of an Alleyway, an enormous, 30-foot-wide piece taking up an entire wall. You’ve only got a couple of weekends left to get an eyeful of the exhibition, as it runs through Sunday, March 12. PAM’s hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays. Admission is $24 for adults, $21 for seniors, $19 for students with ID, $5 for kids 6 to 17, and free for children 5 and under.

Pi Day

As any math nerd might tell you, March 14 is widely known as Pi Day, owing to the fact the date (3/14) is identical to the first three numbers of the mathematical constant. It’s been celebrated yearly since 1988 (when the late physicist Larry Shaw organized an event at the San Francisco Exploratorium) and has become popular in the geek community. Mesa hackerspace HeatSync Labs, 108 West Main Street, will mark the occasion from 7 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14, with an evening of fun and activities. Locals are encouraged to bring pies of the dessert or pizza variety, board games, or even their projects involving Raspberry Pi single-board computers. More details are available here.

Distant Worlds: Music From Final Fantasy

Why is the Final Fantasy video game franchise so widely beloved by geeks? The reasons include the innovative and influential gameplay mechanics, unique and engrossing plots, and memorable characters offered by the series, which celebrated its 35th anniversary last year. And then there are its stirring soundtracks, many of which were composed by Japanese musician Nobuo Uematsu. His tunes will seem even more magical when Distant Worlds: Music From Final Fantasy comes to Phoenix Symphony Hall, 75 North Second Street, at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 16. The touring concert features a full orchestra and chorus led by Grammy-winning conductor Arnie Roth and starring vocalist Susan Calloway that will perform various musical selections from the series while gameplay video is projected on a giant screen. Tickets are $53 to $92. A VIP package is $150 and includes premium seating and a meet-and-greet with Roth and Calloway.

Geeks Night Out 2023

When Tempe Community Complex, 3500 South Rural Road, hosts its annual Geeks Night Out affair on Wednesday, March 22, you’re likely to encounter a mix of cosplayers, superheroes, and vendors. The heart of the event, though, is its selection of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (or STEAM) activities and programming. More than 50 organizations and institutions will be in attendance – including the University of Advancing Technology, Arizona Science Center, and Tempe Union High School’s Innovation Center – offering a variety of demonstrations, booths, and interactive experiences. Hours are from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. and admission is free.

WWE Raw

Think professional wrestling ain’t nerdy enough to qualify for inclusion on this list? Try telling that to the legion of geeks that will pack Footprint Center, 201 East Jefferson Street, on Monday, March 27, for the latest episode of WWE Raw to be broadcast from the arena. They’ll turn out in droves with hand-drawn posters and cheer on the company’s roster of costume-clad grapplers (including such larger-than-life superstars as “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Damian Priest, and Seth “Freakin” Rollins) all of whom are as heroic or villainous as many of the characters from the MCU. The episode will one of the WWE’s last televised events before its annual WrestleMania pay-per-view in early April, so expect plenty of plot twists. The action starts at 4:30 p.m. and tickets are $20 and up.