Cool Science Festival Returns to Colorado Springs — 16 Days of Free STEAM Events Oct. 3–18

The Cool Science Festival is back in Colorado Springs, running Oct. 3–18 with 16 days of science, technology, engineering, art, and math programming spread across venues throughout the city. Most events are free or low cost, and the festival is co-hosted by the Space Foundation Discovery Center.

If you've got kids who light up at the idea of rockets, gems, or hands-on experiments — or you're just looking for something to do over fall break — this is a solid two-week stretch to keep on your radar.

Carnival Day at UCCS — Saturday, Oct. 3 (Free)

The festival's flagship event is the annual Carnival Day at UCCS, running Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. It's free for all ages and designed with K–8 learners in mind. Dozens of demo stations cover everything from rocketry to slime chemistry to robotics to live animals. This is the highest-energy, highest-attendance event of the festival, and it's worth arriving closer to opening time if you want to work through all the stations without a wait.

The Science Carnival also doubles as a great preview of the broader festival — many of the organizations running demos at UCCS host their own events at other venues during the following two weeks.

WMMI Gem and Mineral Panning — Oct. 3–18

The Western Museum of Mining and Industry is running gem and mineral panning throughout the full festival period. It's one of the more open-ended options in the lineup — you can drop in on any day during the festival run rather than committing to a single event. WMMI is located at 225 North Gate Blvd near the Air Force Academy entrance.

Science Riot at Ivywild School — Oct. 7

Science Riot is a comedy-science show format where researchers present their actual work in short, accessible 10-minute presentations — the kind of science communication that tends to surprise adults more than kids. It runs Oct. 7 at Ivywild School, the converted elementary school at 1604 S Cascade Ave that's become one of Colorado Springs' more interesting event venues. Good for older kids and adults who want something a little different.

Space Science Shows at USAFA — Oct. 8

The U.S. Air Force Academy hosts space science programming on Oct. 8 as part of the festival. Check coolscience.org for ticketing and any access requirements for the USAFA events — base entry may require advance registration.

Full Schedule

The festival has more events across the 16-day run than are listed here. The complete schedule, including times, locations, and registration links where required, is available at coolscience.org. Most events don't require advance tickets, but a few of the ticketed shows fill up in advance.

What's Next

Carnival Day on Saturday, Oct. 3 is the natural entry point for families new to the festival. After that, the WMMI panning and the Ivywild events are easy add-ons for families who want to spread the festival experience across the two weeks.