The Bay Area Science Festival will take place this Saturday, October 21, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the UC San Francisco Mission Bay Campus, specifically in Koret Quad. The event, now in its 13th year, is free to the public and aims to ignite interest in science among families and children.
As the largest free science event in Northern California, the festival anticipates a significant turnout, building on last year’s attendance of approximately 10,000 visitors. “This is one of the largest science festivals in the country,” said Katherine Nielsen, co-founder of the festival. “There are a lot of opportunities to bring people from all over the Bay Area to highlight the science they are doing as well as the science here at UCSF. There really is something for all ages.”
This year’s festival will feature 125 interactive events, including a robot zoo, air rockets, live leopard sharks, and STEM magic shows. Major institutions contributing to the festival include the Lawrence Hall of Science, the California Academy of Sciences, and the Oakland Zoo, among others.
Nielsen expressed the enthusiasm of the participating scientists and researchers, stating, “The scientists and researchers who come here are passionate about what they do, whether it’s in science, technology, engineering, or health.”
A logistical consideration this year is the concurrent event at the Chase Center, where the Golden State Valkyries will play in the WNBA Championship at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday against the Atlanta Dream. Parking may be limited due to this overlap, but UCSF will reserve its garages for festival attendees.
The Bay Area Science Festival has experienced shifts over the years. It began in 2011 and was initially held at various locations, often culminating in a final day at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The event transitioned to a virtual format in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was canceled in 2021. It resumed in 2022, this time at the UCSF Mission Bay Campus, which Nielsen noted was well-received. “Holding it at UCSF, people get to come to a place where science is happening every day,” she said. “Last year was an experiment, but we had really positive feedback.”
The UCSF Mission Bay Campus serves as a life sciences hub and provides a more cost-effective venue than the baseball stadium, eliminating scheduling conflicts related to the Giants and seasonal weather risks. The campus offers unique opportunities for visitors, such as lab tours and additional engagement with ongoing scientific work.
For further details about the festival’s events, visit www.bayareasciencefestival.org.
