North Carolina Science Festival 2019 is a statewide collection of events during the month of April, 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, UNC Charlotte, libraries, schools, parks, and more.
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 events in the Charlotte area. Follow each link for more detailed information, such as address and intended age range.
Note: this is just a small sample of the free events going on. Make sure to check them all out.
Please take special note of the workshops at UNC Charlotte. They cost just $5 and most are full-day workshops. Registration starts February 22nd, 2019, and they will fill up, so register as soon as possible.
Drone Avionics Workshop at UNC Charlotte (Co-hosted by Charlotte Latin School)
Saturday, April 6th, 2019
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Woodward Hall, UNC Charlotte (and various campus locations)
8812 Craver Road
$5 per child (parent ticket is free with children)
Grades 5-8
Registration required. Registration starts February 22 (follow above link)
A workshop for students in grades 5-8 introducing the principles of flight, drone programming, operation and design. Students will practice flight simulation, learn drone programming using a model system and operate a drone that they have programmed. Advance registration is required, including $5/person fee for lunch, and all children (18 and under) must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.
LEGO Robotics Workshops
Saturday, April 6th
Sunday, April 7th
Saturday, April 20th
Sunday, April 27th
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
UNC Charlotte EPIC Building Labs
8700 Phillips Road
$5 per person
Grades 3-12
Registration required. Registration starts February 22 (follow above link)
Day-long workshops offering kids the opportunity to learn introductory robotics skills with expert guidance. Designed for children with little or no prior robotics experience. Participants will design, build and program robot creations using LEGO MindStorms building kits and customized software in small, multi-instructor staffed, age-appropriate classes.. Advance registration is required.
Statewide Star Party: Davidson College
Friday, April 12th, 2019
6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Davidson College
209 Ridge Road, Davidson
Free
Statewide Star Party at Harrisburg Library
Friday, April 12th, 2019
7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Harrisburg Library
201 Sims Parkway, Harrisburg
Free
Interested in learning about stargazing and how to identify what’s in the night sky? Join us at the Harrisburg Library for stellar stargazing and other educational astronomy related activities! Navigate the night sky with the aid of telescopes and local astronomers.
This event will take place outdoors, weather permitting. In case of rain or cloudy weather, this event is rescheduled for Saturday, April 13 at 8:30-9:30PM.
The Davidson College Physics Department and Society of Physics Students invite you to a Star Party to be held on the campus of Davidson College the evening of Friday, April 12, 2019 from 6:30 – 10:30 pm. As always, all of our stargazing events are free and open to the public! Come explore the wonders of astronomy and the night sky with your family and friends by joining us for the three events described below. Please stay for all three, or feel free to come for just one or two. As a host for the 2019 NC Science Festival’s annual Statewide Star Party, our theme for all events is “The Moon and Beyond!”
- 6:00 – 7:30 pm: Activity Session in the Dana Science Laboratory, featuring family-friendly demonstrations, crafts, and activities.
- 7:30 – 8:30 pm: Public Lecture in the Dana Science Laboratory in room 146, topic and speaker to be announced soon.
- 8:30 – 10:30 pm: Public stargazing on the campus lawn, featuring telescope observations and guided tours of the Moon, stars, galaxies, nebulae, and planets. Bring a friend and a blanket and relax while your take time to simply look up.
Please note that the stargazing portion of the event is weather permitting. In case of questionable weather conditions, check for weather updates at www.kristenlthompson.com/outreach/events or on the Davidson College Physics Department Facebook page. All other events are not weather dependent and will proceed as planned.
Statewide Star Party at Harrisburg Library
Friday, April 12th, 2019
7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Harrisburg Library
201 Sims Parkway, Harrisburg
Free
Interested in learning about stargazing and how to identify what’s in the night sky? Join us at the Harrisburg Library for stellar stargazing and other educational astronomy related activities! Navigate the night sky with the aid of telescopes and local astronomers.
This event will take place outdoors, weather permitting. In case of rain or cloudy weather, this event is rescheduled for Saturday, April 13 at 8:30-9:30PM.
The NC Science Festival’s annual Statewide Star Party is made possible through the generous support of the NC Space Grant. http://www.ncspacegrant.org/
Statewide Star Party: McDowell Nature Center
Friday, Arpil 12th, 2019
8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
McDowell Nature Center, 15222 York Road
Free
Stargaze with a team of McDowell Naturalists during a night of fun and exploration as we participate in the 2019 North Carolina Statewide Star Party. To commemorate the year of the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing, we will delve into the Moon and Beyond during this special event. Enjoy hands-on astronomy activities, view the night sky through a telescope, roast s’mores by a glowing campfire and explore the preserve on a starlit night hike. In the event of inclement weather, rain plans will be observed. Registration is required for ALL participants as space is limited for this special event. Please call McDowell Nature Center for more information and to register for this event at 980-314-1128.
STEM on the Wing Day at Carolina Raptor Center
Saturday, April 13th, 2019
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Carolina Raptor Center
6000 Sample Road, Huntersville (inside Latta Nature Preserve)
Take off into science at STEM on the Wing Day at Carolina Raptor Center presented by MSC Industrial Supply Co. We’ve partnered with science organizations from all over Charlotte to bring exciting and interactive activities for all ages to the Raptor Trail! Throughout the day, the our expert flight team will ignite your imagination with a series of appearances. Exercise your brain and explore your inner geek at this celebration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics on April 13th from 10 am-2pm. And to top it all off, admission to the Raptor Center is FREE all day (10 am-5 pm) thanks to MSC, the presenting sponsor for this event.
UNC Charlotte Teen Cyberskills Workshop – Ethical Hacking and Game Development
Saturday, April 13th, 2019
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Woodward Hall
8812 Craver Road
$5 per child (parent ticket is free with children)
Ages 11-14
Registration required. Registration starts February 22 (follow above link)
With an eye to what’s hot AND entertaining right now in information technology, UNC Charlotte’s student cyber club is offering a special workshop for middle schoolers interested in getting an introduction to two different cyber fields – security and game design. This hands-on event will be split into two sessions – a morning of “ethical hacking” and an afternoon of learning game development basics. Advance registration is required.
Carolinas Aviation Museum Community Day
Saturday, April 13th, 2019
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Carolinas Aviation Museum
4672 First Flight Dr.
Free
For our 2019 Community Day, the Carolinas Aviation Museum will explore North Carolina’s aviation industry and make visitors aware of how important our state is to aviation and aerospace.
This free event will give our community the chance to come together to enjoy the history and science of aviation with a focus on how it has helped shape the economic and cultural landscape of North Carolina. This year, we will highlight our new STEM programming and Educator’s Guide, while also inviting North Carolina based aviation partners to bring their STEM related interactives to the museum to educate the public about aviation careers. Visit us on April 13th to see how aviation is “Made in North Carolina!”
Statewide Star Party at Discovery Place
Saturday, April 13th, 2019
7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Discovery Place Science
301 North Tryon St
Free
Join Discovery Place and the Charlotte Amateur Charlotte Astronomy club for a free family star party on the top of Discovery Place Science’s parking deck.
The NC Science Festival’s annual Statewide Star Party is made possible through the generous support of the NC Space Grant. http://www.ncspacegrant.org/
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UNC Charlotte The Colors of Chemistry Interactive Workshop
Saturday, April 13th
Saturday, April 20th
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Burson Hall, UNC Charlotte
9006 Craver Road
$5 per child (parent is free with children)
Registration required. Registration starts February 22 (follow above link)
Ages 7-14
Spend the day as a scientist with the Department of Chemistry at UNC Charlotte by participating in our workshop. Learn about dyes, pigments, and other colorful chemicals by making your own chromatic concoctions. This workshop will enable you to let loose your scientific creativity with bright tie-dye and lather printing experiments! Participants will also have the opportunity to watch exciting demonstrations while learning about atoms, polymers, and how we use these materials daily! Advance registration is required.
Build a Rain Barrel
Saturday, April 20th, 2019
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Discovery Place Science
301 North Tryon St
Free
Learn how to conserve and harvest water using a rain barrel. We will help you retrofit a Coca-Cola syrup drum into a catch basin for rain water. All materials will be provided.
This water workshop will have educational activities for all ages. We’ll discover the importance of water conservation and explore ways to prevent water pollution through hands-on activities.
The Build-A-Barrel event is co-hosted by Project Rain Barrel – River Network and the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation.
Please note there is a limited supply of 40 rain barrels for the event.
Brewing Up Science: The Future of NC Beer
Monday, April 22nd, 2019
6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Center City Building, UNC Charlotte
320 E 9th St.
Free
Adults only
A “scientific symposium” for the beer lover and industry nerd in all of us – scientists, artisans and industry researchers involved in one of the state’s most exciting and high-tech industries – craft brewing – discuss the sophisticated present and possibly exotic future of NC beer. Free, but online registration is required for this adults-only event – beverages may be served. Free reception to follow.
UNC Charlotte Computer Programming for Girls
Saturday, April 27th, 2019
9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Woodward Hall
8812 Craver Road
$5 per child (parent ticket is free with children)
Age 8-11
Registration required. Registration starts February 22 (follow above link)
An introductory workshop in computer coding, specifically designed for girls between the ages of 8 and 11. This engaging session is designed to show girls that programming is creative and fun — learning how to program gives you the means to create, and to make the world a better place. During this interactive class, participants will learn how to write code with immediate visual feedback and to become part of an online community. Parents are encouraged to attend a parallel session, which will show them basic programming and discuss how to help their children to learn more at home. Advance registration is required.
UNC Charlotte Science and Technology Expo
Sunday, April 28th, 2019
12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Cato Mall, UNC Charlotte (between Cato College of Education and the College of Health and Human Services, across from Popp Student Union, on Craver Road)
Free
The UNC Charlotte Science and Technology 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, hourly live science shows, 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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