The Indian River Lagoon Science Festival is holding satellite events throughout the Treasure Coast.
What do a tour of a world-famous orange juice plant, a paddle through Florida’s history, and a plant sale by Florida Master Gardeners have in common? They’re all part of five weeks of satellite events leading up to the fifth annual Indian River Lagoon Science Festival! The satellite events celebrate the scientist in everyone with S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) programs and activities for a variety of ages and interests. This year’s Indian River Lagoon Science Festival takes place on Saturday, October 27 at Veteran’s Memorial Park at the River Walk Center in Fort Pierce.
Check out science related (and inspired) events around the Treasure Coast for a variety of ages below. See full schedule and details, including any registration requirements, at www.irlsciencefest.org.
- Thursday, September 27, 3:30pm-4:30pm: S.T.E.A.M. Power! at Susan B. Kilmer Branch Library, Fort Pierce. Ages 5-8. Engineer your own musical instrument! Call 772-462-2154 for more information.
- Saturday, September 29, 2pm-4pm: Teen Tech at Lakewood Park Branch Library, Fort Pierce. Ages 13-18. Come explore the world of computers, technology, coding and robotics! Call 772-462-6870 for more information.
- Sunday, September 30, 8am-12pm: Ais on the Lagoon Community Paddle and Breakfast, Florida Oceanographic Society and US Sailing Center, Stuart. Paddle the Indian River Lagoon with Florida Oceanographic Society (FOS) and learn about the Ais Indians who inhabited our shorelines centuries ago. Check-in begins at 7:30am at the U.S. Sailing Center in Jensen Beach, with the paddle starting promptly at 8:00am. The group will paddle across the Lagoon to the FOS shoreline for a breakfast of grits and clams. Before heading back, enjoy a brief educational presentation by local historian and Indian Riverkeeper Marty Baum. This event is free, but please RSVP at www.FloridaOcean.org. For more information, call 772-225-0505 ext. 113.
- Thursday, October 4, 9:30am: Tropicana Juice Plant Tour, Tropicana Products Inc., Fort Pierce. Tour the Tropicana Juice manufacturing plant to find out how Florida’s best-known beverage is made! This tour is limited to adults. Please, no opened-toed shoes, no dresses or skirts, no photography, Tour participants cannot work for a competitor. Space is limited, so visit IRLScienceFest.org to register.
- Thursday, October 4, 6pm-7pm: All Things 3D at Paula A. Lewis Branch Library, Port St Lucie. All ages. Learn how 3D printing works. Design using Tinkercad and watch a 3D print live! Call 772-871-5470 for more information.
- Saturday October 6, 2:30pm: Frightful Coding at Morningside Branch Library, Port St Lucie. Grades K-5. Come create spooktacular creations using Scratch Coding! We will also create a take-home creation to practice your coding skills at home! Call (772) 337-5632 for more information.
- Tuesday October 9, 10am and 1pm: Piper Aircraft Tour, Vero Beach. Ages 10 and up; children aged 16 or younger must be accompanied by an adult. The tours of this aircraft manufacturing facility last approximately two hours. Online registration through Eventbrite is required for these free tours and space is limited. Call 772-299-2820 or email tours@piper.com for more information.
- Saturday October 13, 8am: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Services Master Gardener Plant Sale, St. Lucie County Cooperative Extension Office (8400 Picos Road, Fort Pierce). All ages. Stock up on beautiful new plants for your garden and enjoy a hands-on science demonstration from 9am-11am. Call 772-462-1660 for more information.
- Thursday October 18, 6pm: Suds and Science, Walking Tree Brewery, Vero Beach. Free tour focused on the science of brewing, including a short introduction to current agricultural research of Florida hops-growing techniques. Tour will be followed by beer science trivia! Tours start at 6:00, trivia starts at 7:00. Call 772-217-3502 for more information.
- Saturday October 20, 2pm: Contraption Faction at Zora Neale Hurston Library Branch, Fort Pierce. Ages 8 and up. Let’s get techie! Boys and girls ages 8 and up are invited to join us for a hands-on exploration of technology. No advanced registration is necessary but space is limited. Call 772-462-2154 for more information.
- Saturday, October 20, 3pm: Hour of Code at Port St Lucie Branch Library, Port St Lucie. Grades K-5. Minecraft themed class teaching some basic coding skills by using code to take Alex or Steve on an Adventure. Space is limited! Call 772-871-5450 for more information.
The IRL Science Festival has been made possible through funding from the Smithsonian Marine Station, FAU Harbor Branch, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Foundation’s Specialty License Plate Program, LEGO Education, Sunrise Ford, and the generous support of WGYL 93.7, WJKD 99.7, WPHR 94.7, WOSN 97.1, WTTB 1490, Waste Pro, Indian River State College and ECO Magazine.
Can’t get enough of IRL Science Festival events? We’re currently looking for event volunteers to assist us with set up, break down, and everything in between on October 26 and October 27. Minimum age for volunteers is 16 years old. More information can be found at http://irlsciencefest.org/volunteer/. If you are interested in being an exhibitor, exhibitor registration is open online until October 5 at http://irlsciencefest.org/hostexhibit/.
About the Indian River Lagoon Science Festival
Established in 2014, the Indian River Lagoon Science Festival is a two week-long celebration of science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) that culminates with a large-scale community event. The festival aims to demonstrate that science is meaningful, relevant, and fun, to make science accessible to all residents of the Treasure Coast, and to highlight STEAM resources in the IRL region. The Festival planning committee is made up entirely of volunteer organizers from local governments and research, education and non-profit organizations, and administrative support is largely provided by the Smithsonian Marine Station. A member of the Science Festival Alliance (www.sciencefestivals.org) since 2013, the IRL Science Festival serves as a leader in promoting science and science festivals across the state Florida. For more information about all Festival partners, sponsors, and scheduled activities, visit www.irlsciencefest.org. #IRLsciencefest
