North Carolina Science Festival 2016 is a statewide collection of events, from April 8th, 2016, through April 24th, intended to ignite an interest in science in both kids and adults. Events take place at a number of venues in the Charlotte area, including Discovery Place, UNCC, CPCC, libraries, schools, and ImaginOn. You can see all the Charlotte area events here. Some events are free, some have a cost, and others are free after admission into the venue, like Discovery Place. Here is a list of some of the free events in the Charlotte area. Follow each link for more detailed information. Some require registration and may be filled up by the time you read this. Note: this is just a small sample of the free events going on! Make sure to check them all out.
Statewide Star Party–Discovery Place
Friday, April 8th, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Bring the family and have an evening of stargazing, celestial viewing and astronomy activities on the top of the parking deck of Discovery Place (weather permitting).
Maker Friday: Making Cool Stuff with Technology
Friday, April 8th, 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Makerspace Charlotte, 200 E 36th Street
If you are tired of doing the same old things with technology in your classroom, come check out the Maker Movement at Makerspace, Charlotte’s open community lab that incorporates elements of a machine shop, workshop, classroom, and studio. While you’re there, you can demo, build, and play with a variety of technology including compressed air rockets, 3D printers, QuadCopters, and computer security.
Statewide Star Party: UNCC
Friday, April 8th, 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m
UNC Charlotte Observatory, 9201 University City Blvd.
Join us for a free evening of star-gazing and fun astronomy activities, including a chance to view Jupiter, star clusters and nebulae with our collection of telescopes. Space is limited, so online registration is required. All ages welcome!
Engineering Day at Steele Creek
Saturday, April 9th, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Steele Creek Library, 13620 Steele Creek Road
Come out and learn how to create theme-based LEGO projects in this hands-on robotics construction workshop. Registration is required. This program is for school-aged children (5-18 years old).
Celebrate Science in your Backyard
Saturday, April 9th, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Cabarrus County Public Library Kannapolis, 850 Mountain Street, Kannapolis
Join us as we explore what nature has to offer in our backyard. We will be hosting a variety of organizations in our community and have many hands on activities. The Reedy Creek Nature Preserve will be presenting a special program from 11:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.
Community Day at Carolinas Aviation Museum
Saturday, April 9th, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Carolinas Aviation Museum, 4672 First Flight Drive
Join us for our third annual Community Day! Admission is free for everyone! The museum will be full of hands-on, minds-on design activities. Visitors will get the chance to sit in the cockpits of our interactive Cessna 150 and F-4 airplanes. You’ll also be able to participate in a variety of STEM-based education stations like our hypothermia penny race. Plus, learn more about the Miracle on the Hudson when you see the US Airways airplane that was guided to an emergency landing on the Hudson River in 2009.
UNC Charlotte Open Science and Technology Lab Day
Saturday, April 9th, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
UNC Charlotte Campus, various locations, 9201 University City Blvd.
Ever wondered what is going on in the labs at UNC Charlotte? Join researchers for a day of scheduled open labs and self-guided tours of university facilities. Please consult our website for schedule and further information.
Science Geek Out
Saturday, April 9th, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, ImaginOn, 300 East 7th Street
Join us as we fill the library with hands-on science stations geared towards ages 11-18. Explore ImaginOn’s Cubic Meter Community and learn how to record scientific observations. Make your own all-natural oatmeal face scrub. Try stop-motion animation, movie making and comic book creation. Design something new on our magnetic roller coaster wall. Play with conductive dough and make squishy circuits. Meet a local beekeeper. No registration is required for this afternoon of science exploration!
Rookie Science: UV Detectors
Saturday, April 9th, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, ImaginOn, 300 East 7th Street
In this program, we’ll explore ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and learn what causes a sunburn. Participants will make a UV-detecting bracelet or keychain to take home. Discover the world of science through books, hands-on educational activities, and experiments!
Statewide Star Party: Carolina International School
Saturday, April 9th, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Carolina International School, 9545 Poplar Tent Rd, Concord
Carolina International School is proud to host several astronomy activities for all ages, free and open to the public. Additional activities and refreshments will also be available for a small fee, to help support the school’s first senior class. Come out and see the stars with us!
Computer Programming Workshop for Girls
Monday, April 11th, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
UNC Charlotte Kennedy Hall, Room 234, 9201 University City Blvd.
Programming is creative and fun! This introductory, kid-friendly workshop teaches how to interactively write code with immediate visual feedback, in one of UNC Charlotte’s new active learning classrooms designed for collaborative and social learning. After completing this workshop, girls will also be shown how to learn more about programming as a hobby or career. The workshop is free, but advanced registration is required. For girls between the ages of 7 and 15.
Engineering and Maker Faire
Thursday, April 21st, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Coltrane-Webb STEM Elementary, 61 Spring Street, Concord
This evening is an opportunity for our students to show off their genius side! Representatives from each class will present their Genius Hour projects and Maker Space creations. All participants will have the opportunity to engage in science activities all over the school. Each classroom will have an activity to complete and take home to remember this special night of engineering and science!
Backyard Chickens & Eco-friendly Gardening
Saturday, April 23rd, 2 p.m.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Mint Hill, 6840 Matthews Mint Hill Rd.
Backyard chickens are fun and can help reduce the amount of food scraps you put in the trash. Come learn more about how you can add chickens to your household! Poultry expert Anna Brown will be teaching us about chickens and composting in an entertaining class that you won’t want to miss!
UNC Charlotte Science and Technology Expo
Sunday, April 24th, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
UNCC Student Union Mall
Once again, UNC Charlotte closes out the North Carolina Science Festival with a public science extravaganza hosted by science and technology faculty, staff and students and also including participation from various community partners. The Expo will feature over 100 activities for the science-curious of all ages, including hands-on educational presentations and fascinating displays — engineering demonstrations, computer and software explorations, all kinds of cool robots in action, lab tours in the life sciences, STEM education activities, environmental science, rockets, drones, the nearby UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens in full bloom… and much, much more.
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