Aal around Aalborg: casino night, friends cafe, ice skating, beer festival, 1/2 marathon, perleplader, Hungarian folk music, pizza making, and more

Hello everyone. I decided to post a bit earlier this week, given my schedule and other activities on the agenda this week. This is just a smattering of what’s happening in Aalborg this weekend and early next week; you can also find information about music events at places like 1000Fryd, Studenterhuset, Huset, and Platform4 at flowland.dk. Have a nice, warmer (!) weekend! [I have updated the Events Calendar for the first time in months. Hope it helps!]

Thursday, 10 March

The Intercambio Programme would like to invite you all to a free night of fun and games at Studenterhuset from 19:00. We’ll be hosting a Casino Night for you to join with a few nice prizes to win if luck and skills are on your side 😉 It will be held at the Stargate, 1st floor and we will be dressed sharply for you all. We’re setting up tables with different games, for example Black Jack and Texas Hold ‘Em poker. So come out and join us for a fun evening of “hazard gambling” and socializing! 🙂 More info available here.

Friday, 11 March

Café Venlig på Tværs / Friends Across Borders takes place from 15:00 to 17:00 once a month at Huset. This month it is tomorrow. There will be a half an hour concert with Bjarke Kirk, who will perform his own songs, and then Elsk Aalborg, Syrian Touch and Amnesty will give a small presentation on what is happening in Aalborg. The event is all about having a good time and meeting each other across cultures, and that’s why (as always) there will be open stage after Bjarke Kirk’s concert, where anyone can bring an instrument to the stage and play whatever they want. We welcome everybody! The event is in “Husets Café”, and the café itself will be open 🙂 Free of charge to attend. Find out more about Huset and its events here.

Say goodbye to the ice. The skating season is reaching its end. This weekend (Saturday and Sunday) is the last chance to skate at Gigantium this season. (Last weekend was the closing of C.W. Obels Plads skating rink.) Skates can be rented for 30 kr, but you can also bring your own.
Friday 13:00 – 16:00
Saturday 14:00 – 18:00
Sunday 10:00 – 14:00
– Price: 25kr – (entrance) and 30kr – (skate rental)

Come to the beer festival at Salling Aalborg where you have the opportunity to taste beers from various breweries.
Friday: 13:00 – 18:00
Saturday: 11:00 – 16:00
In Salling, we always set the bar high when it comes to beer. Our beer festival is no exception. Come and taste great beers from different breweries. Hear their story and what’s happening on the beer front. See our wide range of exclusive beer – and get great deals. You can also taste delicious sausages from Als sausages, Slagter Munch and Rævehedesnack, which makes great snacks to go with beer.

Saturday, 12 March

Normally I wouldn’t wait this long to advertise a long run/race because they generally require significant training, but hey – maybe some of you out there are used to running half-marathons on a regular basis and would find this easy as pie to do two days from now. The Rema1000 Nørresundby 1/2 Marathon 2016 takes place from 10:00 Saturday. But do not fear! You could also choose to run ‘just’ a quarter-marathon (10.5km) or take on the ‘børneløb’ (‘children’s run’) of probably 1 or 2km max. That is, if you have a child to support you. 😉 Cost is 250kr for the 1/2 marathon and 225 kr. for the 1/4. Children’s run costs 75kr. The route is supposed to be beautiful, covering a path along the fjord, on trails, dirt roads, and beautiful green areas. What better way to spend your Saturday morning? Find out more here and here.

For ‘perleplader’ (you know – those white nubbed frames and buckets of colourful beads) fans (and if you are not, your child probably is!), Aalborg Main Library offers an exciting two hour event for you and your children from 11:00 to 13:00 – ‘Hama-perle-workshop: Make the coolest things in all the colours of the rainbow.’ There will be forms, unlimited perle, and – best of all – you will be surrounded by others who love the activity as much as you! Free of charge – just show up at the children’s section of the library. More info here.

If you have ever wanted to mix with the Hungarians living in Aalborg and hear some music by a Hungarian folk singer, Saturday is your chance! At 17:00 Agí Szalóki and her band will play in the Foredragssalen, which is attached to Aalborg Main Library. The event is sponsored by the Hungarian Embassy in Denmark and the Danish Hungarian Society in Aalborg (a very active group, from what I can tell.) The event is free of charge but donations are welcome. This is all the information I have about the event so sorry, no link!

Another option for Saturday night is the Multicultural Buffet Dinner hosted by Elsk Aalborg International. Bring your friends – kids are also welcome! The doors open at 17:00 when you can come and put your food on the table, and the dinner begins at 18:00. Afterwards we’ll play a Danish game together. We love to meet new and known faces. This is a great opportunity to meet and get to know others in Aalborg. We look forward to meeting you!
Info:
– Bring a portion of food that matches what you can eat and which can be shared by 10 people. We would love to taste something from your culture!
– Bring a gift (10-30 kr.) wrapped in paper for the “pakkeleg” 
– You can buy soft drinks and beer at the bar (10 kr. / drink)
Program:
17:00: Welcome
18:00: Dinner begins
19:30: “Pakkeleg” – A Danish game. Everyone brings a small gift (10-30 kr.) wrapped in paper and we have a game with dices to find who will get a gift.
20:30: “Hygge!” = Board games, music, dancing, chatting etc.
More information available here.

Sunday, 13 March

Come to FriRummet and see the amazing art made by psychologically vulnerable young people. ‘Crazy Art’ will take place in the cozy rooms of C. W. Obels Plads 20, where you can walk around and be inspired. Enjoy the positive atmosphere, have a coffee and find out  what else is happening on the premises. The exhibition will be held 13 and 27 March 13 as well as 10 April from 11:00 to 14:00. More info here.

Pizzeria Azzurra in Nordkraft and Nordkraft Event have teamed up to organize a fun family event this Sunday. Come and try making your own favorite pizza and have it baked in the pizza oven at Azzurra. Arrivederci in Azzurra!
Three time slots: 11:30 to 12:15, 12:15 to 13:00, 13:00 to 13:45
– Price: DKK 125/child (The price includes one made pizza per child plus a 0.5L drink. Parents who accompany their child do not need to pay – but it also looks like they have to share the small pizza. Hmmm…) More info and registration available here.

Concerto Copenhagen is an excellent baroque ensemble with musicians handpicked for each project. It is also famous for its conductor, harpsicord player Lars Ulrik Mortensen. On Sunday evening at 19:30 at Budolfi Church the ensemble will perform some of the best in vocal music from the period by Bach, Telemann, Händel and Goldberg led by young Belgian soprano Sophie Junker. Remember – as a student you have free admission. First come – first served. Price for non-students: 100 kr. Tickets for sale at the door from 19:00. The concert is part of The Aalborg Opera Festival. More info here.

Tuesday, 15 March

This is probably a real reach for most of my readership (including myself, I must add) but if your Danish is good enough to understand quantum computing, there will be a lecture next Tuesday at AAU’s CREATE building at Aalborg Harbor from 17:00. Free admission for those affiliated with or studying at AAU or UCN. There is evidently a project in the works to build a quantum computer in the basement of Aarhus University, which will be discussed. So if this interest you, show up! More information here.

Edward Snowden famously let us know that the NSA receives user data from Facebook, Google, Apple and Microsoft. Ads are used to stalk you across the internet and your digital footprints can draw up a very detailed profile of you. This event – IT X 02 – focuses on mobile data encryption and how to fend off data brokers and nosy governments when you surf, text and converse online. By the end of this event you will have the knowledge and tools to protect your privacy on mobile devices – and to educate others to do the same. It will take place in the casual settings at Platform 4 and will be presented by Ole Tange, IT security consultant and policy advisor at PROSA. There will be drinks, knowledge sharing and networking in between. The event starts at 19:00 and is free of charge. More info available here. IN ENGLISH.