Geek Girl Brunch Fresno: Harry Potter Edition

Geek Girl Brunch: Food and Fangirls

Something strange and magical is happening in FresYes. Every other month, ladies from around the Valley gather and graze on brunch foods. They discuss topics that may not seem very “girly”, like comic books, zombies, and Star Wars. However geek culture has room for everyone, and the ladies in Geek Girl Brunch Fresno Chapter are here to prove it.

Geek Girl Brunch is a free club open to all identifying geek girls who are 18 and over. So, if you are a fangirl of any sort of “geeky” genre, this group is for you!

On November 19, they will be hosting one of their bi-monthly brunch meet ups. This month’s event takes place at the Elbow Room and the theme is HARRY POTTER! Yes, the same series that got me to a midnight showing while 8 months pregnant. Have you ever gone to a midnight showing while 8 months pregnant? If you have, you know what a big mistake it was. I spent my time being tired and uncomfortable AND irrationally angry at the director for making such a long movie. My only comfort was the fact that I dragged a bunch of friends along who looked pretty sleepy too. The next day, I left work early because I had a “Harry Potter hangover”, which I personally feel is the best reason to give your boss when you need a nap.

However, I digress. Despite my foray into extreme fandom, sleep deprivation isn’t a membership requirement. The point is, you don’t have to be a rabid Harry Potter fan to join, you don’t even have to know what a Nimbus 2000 is; Geek Girls provides a welcoming environment for all levels of fandom.

Geeks and Grub

Originally founded in New York, the club spread internationally and now even FresYes fangirls can join. Fresno’s Chapter Officer’s are Julie and Tiana, who collaborate on each event and organize club events.

Julie is excited to be part of Geek Girls and says, “I struggle a bit with social anxiety, so this seemed like a great opportunity to meet new people in a comfortable environment with ladies who share some of my fandoms. I also feel that having a geek group exclusively for ladies in the Central Valley is so important. I think geek culture has been primarily aimed at men in the past. I wanted to be involved in a group that is welcome to all geeky girls, no matter the fandom. We don’t discriminate. We don’t care when you became a fan of something. We are all passionate about something and we want to create an environment where women are free to fangirl over whatever they like without judgment.”

Depending on the theme, members often gather at another location after brunch/lunch to do something as a group. For instance, in the past they have participated in a zombie crawl in downtown Fresno and even played games at a local comic book store. This month, they are going to watch, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them“.

In keeping with the Harry Potter theme, there’s golden snitch ornament swag addition, there’s a raffle for some really fun and original Harry Potter items. To enter the raffle members can bring in any used or new video game. As part of the #GGBDoBetter movement, the club will take the games and donate them to Game Givers, which is an organization that provides children’s hospitals with video games.

If any geek girls would like to join them for their final brunch of 2016, it’s free! First, just be age 18 (or older) and join the club by clicking here. Finally, “Like” the Geek Girls Brunch Fresno page on facebook to RSVP to the Harry Potter Brunch.

[Photos property of Geek Girls Brunch Fresno, used by permission]