![MarsCon 2013 was held at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Bloomington over the weekend it featured a mishigas of Sci Fi and horror characters with hundreds of people attending.. Arie Copley-Radder 10 years old of Minneapolis played the part of Zarlon the Destroyer, he was checking out the Darth Vader mask in the prop room.] Richard.Sennott@startribune.com Richard Sennott/Star Tribune. , Bloomington Minn. Sunday 3/3/13) ** (cq) ORG XMIT: MIN1303031823261181](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/I4S2IVBOOZNDNBVRUAXNBQSGLM.jpg?&w=1080)
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
MarsCon
MarsCon kicks off science-fiction convention season. Founded in 1999 by a handful of sci-fi fans, it is somewhat smaller than the annual CONvergence, but its strength is in its breadth. It promises something for just about every kind of geek — costumers, sci-fi lit fans, TV and movie geeks, astronomy and science enthusiasts, prop masters, gamers and animé aficionados. The weekend includes Q&A sessions, film screenings, panel discussions, gaming, an art show, literary readings, live music and themed party rooms, with guests of honor including actress Spice Williams-Crosby (best known as a Klingon in "Star Trek V" and an assassin on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") and the semilegendary Antoinette Bower, a fixture on sci-fi TV shows from the '60s through the '80s. (Fri.-Sun. $30-$75. Hilton, 3800 American Blvd. E., Bloomington. www.marscon.org.) Jahna Peloquin
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
Minneapolis Polar Plunge
Among the craziest things Minnesotans do: diving into freezing water for sport. The annual Polar Plunge pops up at lakes across the state, with thousands jumping in to raise money for Special Olympics Minnesota. The Lake Calhoun edition is the largest, kicking off with a "Frozen Friday" featuring the Cool School Plunge, the Executive Challenge, plunge ambassador Ian Leonard and fireworks (7 p.m.). The main event is Saturday, with additional activities including snow volleyball, an ice carving contest, a 5K walk/run and ice bowling. Forecast highs are in the upper 30s — is that a good thing? (10 a.m. Fri.-Sat. Check-in: 4-6:30 p.m. Thu.-Fri. or 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat. Thomas Beach, Lake Calhoun, Thomas Av. S. & W. Calhoun Pkwy., Mpls. www.plungemn.org.) J.P.
SATURDAY
Red Dress Collection
