West Region Events

  • A comic-style illustration shows a robot astronaut on a STEM-themed car rover, amidst a cityscape with a rocket launch and a ringed planet in the background. The scene celebrates science and technology, with playful elements like a smiling rocket an

    CITY OF STEM FESTIVAL & LOS ANGELES MAKER FAIRE

    Sat. April 6
    9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m
    Los Angeles, CA
    Best for: all ages

    Southern California's largest celebration of science, making, creativity, invention, and fun will be free and open to the public with hands-on activities, galleries, workshops, live music, food trucks, and more!

    Organized by Columbia Memorial Space Center & Los Angeles Public Library

    more info
  • The image depicts a man standing in an exhibit that simulates a tornado. He is smiling and posing with his hands around the artificial tornado, which is made visible by what appears to be vapor or smoke. The background is filled with images of lightn

    CLARK PLANETARIUM

    Sat. April 6 - Sun. April 14
    times vary, see more info
    Salt Lake City, UT
    Best for: all ages

    Join us in experiencing the captivating world of space & science. The Clark Planetarium is Salt Lake City's go-to destination for hands-on science, learning, and fun. Exhibits are free to the public.

    Organized by Clark Planetarium

    more info
  • group people in a desert-like landsccape with bags of rubbish. Suggests an environmental clean-up

    CHATFIELD STATE PARK CLEANUP!

    Sun. April 7
    9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. MT
    Littleton, CO
    Best for: all ages, groups, families

    Come out and join Wild Keeper Rebecca Rose for a cleanup at Chatfield State Park! It’s time to give back to the planet! In celebration of Earth Day, we’re going to give back more than ever this April! Across the country and beyond, we’re getting outside, getting our hands dirty, and removing trash from the wild places we love. Our goal is to remove 150,000 pounds of trash from nature this April!

    Organized by Keep Nature Wild

    register
  • The image depicts an interior space, likely a museum or exhibition hall, characterized by a large open area with a wooden floor. The ceiling is high, with several hanging lights and cylindrical air ducts. Along the walls are artworks; one wall featu

    MINES MUSEUM OF EARTH SCIENCE

    times vary, see more info
    Golden, CO
    Best for: all ages

    Founded in 1874, Mines Museum of Earth Science, on the campus of Colorado School of Mines has more than 2,500 rocks, minerals, gems, fossils and mining objects on exhibit. Open 7 days a week. Free admission.

    Organized by Mines Museum of Earth Science

    more info
  • The image shows a group of people, most likely a tour group, visiting an industrial facility. They are wearing safety helmets, which indicates that they are in an area where protective gear is required, such as a construction site or an industrial pl

    WATER RENEWAL TOUR

    Tues. April 9
    9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. MST
    Boise, ID
    Best for: age 5 & up

    Join us for a free tour of the West Boise Water Renewal Facility. This 60-minute walking tour will give you a behind-the-scenes view of what happens when you flush! Learn about how the City of Boise is renewing your used water, recovering valuable resources, and ultimately protecting the health of the Boise River.

    Organized by Boise WaterShed

    register
  • This is an aerial photograph of a busy cargo port. There are multiple large container ships docked at the quayside, being loaded or unloaded. The port is equipped with tall gantry cranes, painted in blue and white, which are used to move the containe

    PORT OF TACOMA PUBLIC BUS TOUR

    Tues. April 9
    1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. PST
    Tacoma, Washington
    Best for: age 6 & up

    Join us for a free Port of Tacoma bus tour! The approximately two-hour tour through the Port and the Tacoma, WA Tideflats is about as close as you can get to international trade. Get a behind-the-scenes look into how the Port contributes to our region’s economic vitality and works to enhance the environment.

    Organized by Port of Tacoma

    register
  • A collage of various young girls and women engaged in STEM activities, demonstrating learning, collaboration, and mentoring in technology and science.

    STEM PANEL & CODING WORKSHOP BY MAGIC

    Tues. April 9
    5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. PT
    Palo Alto, CA
    Best for: students grades 6-12

    Join us for a two-part event hosted by MAGIC! First, we will have a panel discussion with working professionals in STEM. Next, we will dive into a beginner-friendly coding activity.

    Organized by MAGIC

    register
  • The image depicts an earthworm on soil, showcasing the creature's role in the ecosystem as it burrows through the ground. The close-up nature of the photograph allows for detailed observation of the worm and the texture of the soil, which is clumped

    IT'S ALIVE! IMPROVING SOIL HEALTH THROUGH BIOLOGY

    Tues. April 9
    6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. MST
    Boise, ID
    Best for: adults

    Learn how to plant a water wise garden this spring with the City of Boise and Ada Soil and Water Conservation District. Workshops on xeriscaping, plant selection and garden design will be held at our local libraries March through April 2024.

    Organized by Boise WaterShed

    register
  • two young children, wearing white lab coats and engaged in play, are exploring what looks like a makeshift play area created from cardboard. The setting seems to encourage early STEM (or STEAM) learning, with an informal and fun environment for exper

    EARLY STEAM EXPLORATION

    Wed. April 10
    2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. MDT
    Aspen, CO
    Best for: age 0-4

    Early STEAM Exploration allows children ages 0-4 to explore and discover topics of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math in fun and exciting ways. This program is meant to encourage and introduce young children to broader topics under the STEAM umbrella.

    Organized by Pitkin County Aspen Library & Aspen Science Centre

    more info
  • Black and white sketch of the Alaskan Blackfish

    WILDLIFE WEDNESDAY - SCIENCE LECTURE ON THE ALASKAN BLACKFISH

    Wed. April 10
    7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. AKST
    Anchorage, AK
    Best for: adults

    Katrina Liebich of USFWS discusses the unique Alaska Blackfish at Alaska Zoo, highlighting its air-breathing ability via a modified esophagus, allowing survival in harsh Arctic conditions.

    Organized by the Alaska Zoo

    more info
  • The image shows a man in a museum setting, wearing a tweed jacket and bow tie, holding a geologist's hammer. He is standing by a table with mineral specimens, with a display case of various minerals in the background, indicating a geological or natu

    W.M. KECK EARTH SCIENCE & MINERAL ENGINEERING MUSEUM

    Mon. April 8 - Fri. April 11
    9 :00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m PT
    Reno, NV
    Best for: age 5 & up

    Explore the astounding collection of rare and common minerals, fossils and mining history relics. Free to the public since 1908.

    Organized by W. M. Keck Earth Science and Mineral Engineering Museum

    more info
  • glass blowing.

    MALHEUR MAKER FAIRE

    Sat. April 13
    10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. MT
    Ontario, OR
    Best for: all ages

    Maker Faire is a family-friendly gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and who love sharing what they can do. From crafters and artists to scientists and engineers, Maker Faire is a venue for these "makers" to show their hobbies, innovations, and projects.

    Organized by Frontier STEM

    more info
  • a group of individuals attending an info session in a nature parl

    CELEBRATE NATURE!

    Sat., April 13
    9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. PT
    Central Point, OR
    Best for: all ages / families

    Join Chamise Kramer, USFS Eastern Region Creative Services Team Manager, and BLM Environmental Education Specialist Molly Allen on a general information hike suitable for the whole family. The hike will cover a little bit of everything from wildflowers, ethnobotany, geology, wildlife, ecology and the cultural history of the Table Rocks.

    Organized by The Nature Conservancy & Bureau of Land Management

    register
  • bright red lava flow

    HOW DO I SEE INSIDE A VOLCANO?

    Sat. April 13
    10:00am - 11:00am UTC
    Honolulu, HI
    Best for: Children, Families

    Have you ever wondered what the inside of a volcano looks like? There will be a fifteen-minute presentation on volcanoes, rock sample show-and-tell, and a hands-on gelatin volcano activity.

    Organized by Liliha Public Library

    register
  • Crane bird perched on wooden stake. Background is lake or pond.

    FAMILY BIRD WALK

    Sat. April 13
    12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. PT
    Fremont, CA
    Best for: families with children 5-10

    Join us on a Fun, Family, Feathered Bird WalK. We’ll begin by helping kids create their personal bird watching field guides, and then head out onto the trails to find those birds. A limited number of binoculars are available to borrow. Extreme weather conditions could cancel.

    Organized by Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge - Fremont

    register
  • This image shows a group of people interacting with a colorful, topographic-like projection on a surface. The hands of several individuals are visible, casting shadows, and manipulating the vivid contours of light that represent varying elevations o

    SCIENCE POTPOURRI

    Sat. April 13
    12:00 p.m. AKST
    Fairbanks, AK
    Best for: all ages

    See actual explosions and real lava, learn about satellites in space, and more at the Science Potpourri event. Designed to spark children’s curiosity about the sciences, the event is a free, family-friendly science expo. Venue: The Reichardt Building at University of Alaska Fairbanks.

    Organized by University of Alaska Fairbanks

    more info
  • The image captures a young boy engrossed in exploring and assembling various electronic components and hardware. He is surrounded by a plethora of parts such as circuit boards, wires, and tools, indicative of a hands-on learning environment or a mak

    KAOS KIDS

    Sat. April 13 ·
    2:00 p.m. - 5 p.m PT
    Los Angeles, CA
    Best for: families

    Kaos Kids creative space is a day filled with fun and educational activities for the whole family! Sankofa City is a community design project that aims to envision the future of urban spaces, such as Leimert Park, through technology, STEM, transportation, and culture.

    Organized by Sankofa City

    register
  • The image shows a close-up of a bird with distinctive features, likely a raptor, focusing on its face and beak with a blurred background. The bird's sharp gaze and prominent beak are characteristic of predatory birds.

    WORLD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AT LA SIERRA UNIV.

    Sat. April 13
    2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. PT
    Riverside, CA
    Best for: 5 & up


    Take a tour and learn about La Sierra's unique exhibits! Bring the family! Displays of rare and exotic mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians; beautiful geological displays of minerals and gems, including one of the largest collections of mineral spheres in the world! FREE admission!

    Organized by La Sierra University

    more info

DISCLAIMER: Please be advised that events listed as part of the National STEM Festival, except for the YOU BELONG IN STEM convening and the National STEM Festival EXPO, are associated festival events independently organized and managed. EXPLR PBC Inc. and the U.S. Department of Education do not control or assume responsibility for the content presented in these independent events or on their associated websites and/or social media platforms. (Federal Endorsement Not Implied)

Attendees should be aware that EXPLR and the U.S. Department of Education are not responsible for the management of these events. This includes but is not limited to any injuries, loss of items, reservation systems, scheduling, delays, cancellations, or any changes made to the event details. While we hope each event offers a valuable and enriching experience, we advise attendees to inform themselves about the specifics of each event they plan to attend. While we hope each event offers a valuable and enriching experience, we advise attendees to inform themselves about the specifics of each event they plan to attend.