Kansas Science Festival at Downtown MHK
The Kansas Science Festival’s signature event each year takes place on the streets of Downtown Manhattan, Kansas the last Saturday of April. In 2023, we are moving off the sidewalks and into the streets! The second street festival and will be bigger and better with more activities and a family fun run, the Dopamine Dash. Gather your friends and family and join other festival goers in a day of fun, science-based experiences!
Schedule of Events
April 27th | 7 pm | Bugs n Beers
In the spirit of creativity and experimentation that defines science, the Kansas Science Festival and Manhattan Brewing Company are co-creating a food and beer tasting experience that revolves around the “bugs” that transform the ingredients that we consume. These “bugs” are typically microbes—yeasts, molds, and bacteria—but actual bugs are now also making their way onto our menus.
Support the Kansas Science Festival by running or walking a 2.5-mile course from downtown Manhattan around City Park and back. While this is a timed event, it’s not just about covering the distance the fastest – participants will have to complete science puzzles along the way! This family-friendly challenge can be completed solo or in teams, and all finishers receive a medal. Teams can be comprised of all adults or a combination of youth and adults, and teams can range in size from 2 to 6 individuals. Special prizes will be awarded for the fastest finishers, most creative costumes, and more!
April 29th | 11 am-4 pm | Kansas Science Festival
The Kansas Science Festival at Downtown Manhattan will provide tons of interactive science fun for audiences of all ages. Meet researchers from all career stages and community science practitioners and discover how they (and you) use science every day! Researchers from across the state will allow anyone to explore their work, spanning diverse topics that range from Mars rovers and mighty microbes to the science behind historical events in Kansas.
Some of the organizations that will be leading activities at this year’s festival:
Agriculture Education Club at K-State
BioKansas Innovation Festival
Cosmosphere
Ecology Club at K-State
Engineers without Borders
Flint Hills Discovery Center
Hale Library
Histochemical Society with Foldscope Instruments
Johnson Cancer Research Center
Kansas Children’s Discovery Center
Kodo Kids
Lafayette Lodge #16 – MCA Health Screenings
Manhattan Arts Center
MHK Drift Karts
MHK Play Studios
Milford Nature Center
Mobile Vet Clinic from K-State College of Vet Med
National Bio & Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF)
Popenoe Entomology Club at K-State
Sunset Zoo
US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Various Departments/Divisions from K-State