Medicine Hat's 'board game guy,' Steven Durk, is hosting his first community event since the pandemic from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 7, 2023 at the Medicine Hat Public Library.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
kking@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat’s ‘board game guy’ is once again bringing community members together for some good old fashioned fun.
Hatter Steven Durk began hosting board game events in 2018, when he noticed a resurgence of interest.
“Board games are a great way for people to unplug and reconnect,” Durk told the News. “So, the whole idea was just to run events at local businesses, which kind of helps the economy, (but also) gets people off technology and just lets them visit with one another once again over a board game.”
An avid enthusiast, Durk started out by sharing his own collection of games and knowledge of each game’s rules with community members, And was pleased to be met with warm reception.
But just as Durk was establishing himself as the city’s ‘board game guy,’ the pandemic struck, forcing him to halt all public events.
Despite the setback, Durk remains passionate about his original goal and is looking forward to resuming public events, with his first since the pandemic scheduled for Jan. 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Medicine Hat Public Library.
“I really hope it’s just positive and uplifting,” said Durk. “I really want everyone to just respect each other, and for everyone to feel comfortable.”
The event will feature several board games, which new or avid players can enjoy. And, like previous events, Durk will be on site to help teach attendees how to play, if needed.
Unlike previous events, Durk has introduced a new time-slot booking system where attendees may pre-book a table for one hour.
“I understand that some people just don’t feel comfortable yet walking into a public place and sitting down with a bunch of strangers (so) they can book a table and then do so by themselves,” said Durk. “Or, maybe there are people who want to play a four-player game, they only have two players and they’re looking for two other players; they can also book a table and request other players to book that time slot with them. So there’s two different approaches.”
Attendees are not required to book a table, as Durk has several games tables reserved for drop-ins.
For more information about the event or to book a games table time slot, visit the ‘Medicine Hat Board Game Guy’ Facebook page.
