Roseville Going for World's Largest Mobile Gaming Party on Saturday

In an event aimed at raising the national profile of its city, the Roseville Visitors Association hopes Saturday (Sept. 15) to set  the world's record for the largest mobile gaming party. 

And Visitors Association officials said this week that buzz is growing for their quest to break the Guinness World Record in this category.

Organizers are hoping to attract upwards of 3,000 participants, thereby shattering the existing record of 316 people who simultaneously played mobile games on April 13, 2011 in Birmingham, England. 

"We are getting lots of buzz but no exact count," Julie Wearn, Visitors Association executive director, told Roseville Patch. "Rovio sent us 12 boxes of prizes for the day - they are "Angry Birds." We also will have AWEsum - a local game maker who has a Tetris-like math game."

Publicists for the Visitors Assocition offered the following information about the World Record attempt:

Participants can play any mobile game of their choice, although early publicity has focused on people playing the Angry Birds on their smartphones. The record attempt will occur at noon with a pre-event party scheduled starting at 9 a.m.

Costumes are encouraged, and prizes will be awarded for the best dressed.  The event’s Family Fun Zone will include games, a bounce castle, photo booth, and more."

As a part of the event, the Visitors Association said it has collected essays from teachers who need a new computer lab for their school. Mobile game participants will be able to vote for their favorite school during the event, and the winning school will receive a computer lab from Minnesota Computers for Schools.

Meanwhile, free parking is available at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and the Rosevile park and ride off of I-35W and  County Road C with a free shuttle to take participants back and forth from the two sites to the John Rose OVAL.

For further information, check out www.VisitRoseville.com.