The 31st annual Trivia Weekend presented by KVSC 88.1FM takes place Feb. 12-14. The on-campus radio station at St. Cloud State University hosts a 50-hour marathon of trivia questions asked to teams listening on the radio and Internet. With a broad range of questions in pop culture, science, history and more, KVSC’s Trivia Weekend is a staple in Central Minnesota.

Each year, a different theme is chosen to pay homage to a popular movie, novel or pop-culture phenomena. "Trivia in 3D" was chosen in light of the resurgence in 3-D movies and, more recently, in broadcast television.

Trivia weekend has developed into an event that reaches deep into the Central Minnesota community," said Jo McMullen-Boyer, station manager. "Everywhere I go people tell me their grandkids or friends at work love trivia weekend. I’m also astonished and appreciative of how many businesses support our volunteers with food donations and prizes for the top teams playing."

Last year, KVSC brought Trivia Weekend to new audiences in southern Minnesota and this year the network continues across the Midwest. Two additional media markets include Thief River Falls, Minn. on 90.1FM KSRQand, for the first time, Trivia Weekend is broadcasting live in Madison, Wis. in a partnership with WSUM 91.7FM. In its 31st year, Trivia Weekend is simulcast live throughout much of the State of Minnesota and is now reaching out to other states with expanded coverage.

Expanding to Mankato and Austin last year was a significant step in the contest’s development," said Jim Gray, operations director at KVSC. "Broadcasting from stations in Madison and Thief River Falls really shows how big this trivia contest has become."

The rich history of KVSC’s Trivia Weekend began in 1980 as an event put on by KVSC and the SCSU Residence Hall Association as a way to alleviate Minnesota’s cabin fever. That year, a staff of 14 answered calls on four phone lines from 50 teams.

In 2009, KVSC required hundreds of volunteers to staff the 30 trivia hotlines and 76 teams participated in the three-day contest. With the growth of Trivia Weekend, volunteers have become very important in making the event possible.

"I’ve called our volunteers everything from the lifeblood of KVSC’s Trivia Weekend to the engine that keeps the contest running," said McMullen-Boyer.  "Volunteers are the reason we are able to expand the contest to more teams and in networking the contest beyond St. Cloud. It’s our hope to pamper our volunteers every year with appreciation and the best catered food we can find."

Trivia rules require teams to register by 4:30 p.m. the Friday of Trivia Weekend. Teams create a name and designate a headquarters to work from as they put their heads together in a quest to be called the most knowledgeable team.

"It’s not what you know that helps with this trivia contest," said McMullen-Boyer.  "It’s the clever and inventive ways participants investigate questions under extremely tight deadlines that provide winning results."

Concluding the 50-hour contest is an awards ceremony in Ritsche Auditorium on the campus of St. Cloud State University. The winning team receives the coveted "Minnesota Masters of Trivia Traveling Trophy." The golden urn (trophy) shows the names of the winning teams over the past 30 years.

Following the awards ceremony, the contestants and volunteers head to the Red Carpet Nightclub in downtown St. Cloud to celebrate surviving another Trivia Weekend. The Shake A Hamster Band takes the stage and performs their new theme-based numbers as well as some of the favorites from previous years.

KVSC encourages trivia enthusiasts from all over to pull together friends and family members to create a team or to consider becoming a phone bank volunteer for the weekend. The entire contest is also streamed live online. For information on registration and volunteering, visit www.kvsc.org.

KVSC 88.1FM, the Voice of St. Cloud since 1967, offers listeners an alternative format without commercials. KVSC features a diverse variety of music as well as news coverage and community events. The staff of KVSC 88.1FM is comprised of students and community volunteers.