2026 Los Alamos ScienceFest SCHEDULE
Many of our partners will be adding more events. Check back often for more updates or follow us on Facebook.
MAIN EVENTS
9/26 Discovery Day - Fuller Lodge and Lawn, 10 am - 2 pm
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Discovery Day Main Event 10 am - 2 pm at Fuller Lodge & Fuller Lodge Lawn.
Hands-on discoveries await at the many booths represented by a variety of STEAM partners! Come see live demonstrations, musical performances, interactive activities and more!
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Additional Discovery Day Activities:
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STEMarts Lab LiveCoding Performance 11 am - 1 pm at SALA Event CenterExperience science through art and technology with STEMarts’ SciArt Live Coding performance at SALA Event Center! Watch youth artists, scientists, and international collaborators transform real astronomical data—including imagery inspired by the James Webb Space Telescope—into mesmerizing visuals and sound, demonstrating how code, creativity, and astrophysics can come together to tell new stories about our universe.
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PEEC Electric Vehicle Show 10 am - 2 pm at Library overflow Parking Lot Explore the future of transportation at ScienceFest’s Electric Vehicle Show! Get up close with a variety of electric-powered vehicles, chat with EV owners about their experiences, and discover how electric transportation works—including its energy use and environmental impact.
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Challenge Tomorrow Trailers, 10 am - 2 pm at Fuller Lodge & Lawn
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Bring science to life with the Bradbury Science Museum’s Challenge Tomorrow trailers! Step inside these interactive mobile museums to tackle real-world STEM challenges, explore cutting-edge research from Los Alamos National Laboratory, and get hands-on with science, technology, and engineering. It’s an engaging, family-friendly experience that lets you explore, experiment, and discover what’s possible in STEM.
9/26 Discovery After Dark: STEAM for Adults - Various Locations, 5-9 pm
Come out to downtown Los Alamos's various locations to play like a kid again!
More updates coming soon!
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Button, Keychain & Magnet Making, 5 pm - 8 pm, at Samizdat Bookstore & Teahouse
Stop by Samizdat for a treat and make a trinket with local artist, Margarita Ryan.
Trinkets include button-pins, keychains and magnets. Draw and design your own!
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Silent Disco, Mocktails & Glow Paint, 5 pm - 8:30 pm, Fuller Lodge
Dance like nobody’s listening! Grab headphones, sip a fun mocktail, and dance the night away with friends. Switch between music channels and get ScienceFest-themed black-light paint from ColorMeRadical to glow under the lights!
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Code-Breaking Games and Elemental Scavenger Hunt, 5 pm - 9 pm, at Bradbury Science Museum
Put your code-breaking skills to the test! Solve WWII-inspired secret spy codes, crack hidden messages, and see if you have what it takes to become a master decoder, then enter a quest for the hidden elements within the museum!
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Lava Lamp Activities, 5 pm - 9 pm, Mainstreet Marketplace
Get hands-on with science and creativity in this fun, interactive lava lamp workshop hosted by the YMCA Teen Center! Explore density, liquids, and chemical reactions while creating your own colorful, bubbling lava lamp to take home.
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ASTROTour & Star Party, 7 pm - 9 pm, PEEC
Look to the stars! Spend the evening with STEMarts and the Pajarito Astronomers Club gazing at Saturn and other spectacular September-night sights. Explore interactive cosmic art projects created by STEMarts students and discover something new about our universe. This event is weather-dependent.
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Play Like a Kid Again!, 5 pm - 9 pm, STEAMLab
Play Like a Kid Again! Climb, build, bounce, and laugh your way through a playful adventure featuring aerial silks, Magna-Tiles, and bumper balls. Leave your grown-up worries at the door and rediscover the joy of simply playing!.
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One Act Plays, 6 pm - 9 pm, Los Alamos Little Theater
Experience a lively double feature of one-act plays from Los Alamos Little Theatre, pairing Chekhov’s hilarious marriage farce The Proposal with Alice Gerstenberg’s clever exploration of social expectations and inner desires in Overtones. Stay after the performance for a special talk-back with the cast and directors, offering audiences a chance to dive deeper into the characters, themes, and theatrical choices behind these two entertaining work.
ScienceFest Programming presented by MainStreet
"It's All Elemental", September 18-26, 2026
PARTNER EVENTS
UPDATES IN PROGRESS
New Regional Partner Events
9/20 Los Luceros Annual Fall Festival - Los Luceros Historic Site, Alcalde, NM, 10 am - 4 pm
The annual Fall Festival features a variety of hands-on activities for visitors of all ages. Site staff will lead art and craft activities. Children’s book authors will read stories and sign books. Special performances will be offered by Moving Arts Española and musician Martin Martinez from Taos. The New Mexico Wildlife Center will lead a wildlife demonstration. In addition, the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs Wonders on Wheels mobile museum will be at the event touring the exhibit "Eight Sites, One History: Explore the Past at New Mexico Historic Sites" the Bradbury Science Center education truck will be open for exploration, and the New Mexico Office of Archaeological Studies will lead hands-on activities.
9/20 Ambassador Animal Tour - New Mexico Wild Life Center, Espanola, NM,
10 am - 11 pm
Come visit New Mexico Wildlife Center in Espanola and learn about the wildlife that shares our state! This program is a staff-led tour of our Ambassador Animals where you will see mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians that are native to New Mexico, learn about these individuals and human impacts on wildlife. The tour will share about the wildlife rehabilitation done here at NMWC, and include an Ambassador Animal encounter which could be seeing a training session for a mammal or bird, or even meeting a reptile up close. Leave with more information about how to safely coexist and support the animals found around you.
Please register for this event through this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScRYtms_gj-CJTOtdfCcXr0jHkhJhxfBit5eTr_PbFYqhyr4g/viewform
9/25 Valles Caldera Scientific Discovery - Valles Caldera National Preserve, Jemez Springs, NM, 11 am - 4 pm
From plate tectonics to caldera resurgence and beyond, Valles Caldera has inspired world-renowned scientific discoveries that have progressed the state of human knowledge. Join New Mexico geologists, ecologists, and biologists at Valles Caldera National Preserve on Friday, September 25, for Scientific Discovery Day—part of the annual Valles Caldera Fall Fiesta special event.
Los Alamos Partner Events
9/19 Fall Seed Harvest by PEEC - Los Alamos Nature Center,
6 pm - 7:30 pm
Come save seed with us! During this program, we will discover the important role of seeds and learn how to harvest, dry, and store different types of seeds thru hands-on activities. This event is meant for all ages interested in learning about seeds, seed saving, and gardening.
9/19 The Sun: Our Living Star by PEEC - Los Alamos Nature Center Planetarium, 11 am - 11:30 pm
The Sun has shone on our world for four and a half billion years. The light that warms our skin today has been felt by every person who has ever lived. It is our nearest star and our planet’s powerhouse, the source of the energy that drives our winds, our weather and all life. The passage of the Sun’s fiery disc across the sky — day by day, month by month — was the only way to keep track of time for countless past civilizations. Discover the secrets of our star in this planetarium show and experience never-before-seen images of the Sun’s violent surface in immersive full-dome format.
Tickets available for this event via the link:
https://peecla.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/event-detail?event=68230&
9/19 Forest Bathing Day by Conscious Leadership Institute - Bandelier National Monument, 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, Forest Bathing invites us to slow down, awaken the senses, and nourish our connection with the natural world and ourselves. More than a hike, these guided experiences offer an opportunity to step outside the pace of daily life and enter a more spacious rhythm of attention, presence, and wellbeing. Held during the seasonal turning toward autumn, this shared day celebrates the diverse landscapes of New Mexico while fostering a growing culture of relationship with place and community.
Join the Meetup Group to register for this event through this link: https://www.meetup.com/forest-bathing-santa-fe-meetup-group/
9/21 Insect Exploration Walk by PEEC - Los Alamos Nature Center,
5:30 pm - 7 pm
Join ecologist Bridget Bloodwood for an insect exploration around PEEC and Kinnikinnik Trail! Use nets and observation skills to discover local insects and learn about their anatomy, behavior, and habitats. This easy, slow-paced outing covers less than a mile. Nets provided; bring water, sunscreen, and curiosity. Space is limited—register in advance.
9/24 "Picture a Scientist" by Bradbury Science Museum - SALA Event Center,
6 pm - 8 pm
A powerful documentary that explores the systemic challenges faced by women in science and the ongoing efforts to build a more diverse, equitable and inclusive research community. Join the Bradbury Science Museum Association for this engaging film screening which features personal stories and perspectives from leading researchers in social science, neuroscience and psychology.
9/24 Unlock Savings for a More Comfortable, Efficient Home by DPU & PEEC - Los Alamos Nature Center & Online, 6 pm - 7 pm
Thinking about upgrading your insulation, installing solar panels, or adding an EV charger? Join Laila Atalla, Lead Energy Coach at Homewise, for a practical overview of New Mexico's landscape of tax credits, rebates, and other incentives that can help households reduce energy costs and make clean energy upgrades more affordable. Learn which programs may be right for you, how incentives can be combined, and where to find trusted information.
ONGOING EVENTS
Los Alamos History Museum Guided Walking Tours
Monday - Friday 10 am & 1:30 pm
Saturday 11 am (May - Oct)
History Museum Lobby
Tickets $25; tours last approximately 1.5-2 hours
Manhattan Project National Historical Park
Friday - Monday 11:30 am, June - October
Starts at Manhattan Project National Park Visitor Center
Free to attend; tours last approximately 1 hour