Cool Science Festival Wraps Up Sunday — Five Days Left for Colorado Springs Families

The Colorado Springs Cool Science Festival has been running since October 3, and it closes Sunday, October 18. That leaves five days — including a full weekend — for families who haven't made it out yet, or who want to squeeze in one more round of hands-on STEAM events before the festival goes away until next fall.

With more than 100 activities spread across the city at schools, libraries, museums, and community venues, there's a realistic chance your family can find something that fits your kids' ages and interests without a lot of travel. The overwhelming majority of events are free or low cost, which makes this one of the best deals on the COS family calendar all year.

Good Timing for D49 Families

If your kids are in District 49, they're on fall break through October 19, with school resuming October 20. The overlap with the festival's final week is essentially perfect — five weekdays plus a weekend during which D49 students have no school obligations.

That's a practical window for families who've been waiting for a day without the school-night logistics crunch. A weekday visit also tends to mean smaller crowds than a weekend session, which can make a real difference at events with limited space.

Quick Reference

Making the Most of the Remaining Days

The visitcos.com schedule lets you filter by date, age range, and event type. If you're planning a specific day, pull up the schedule the night before rather than the morning of — some events fill quickly and registration deadlines aren't always prominently displayed.

For families with a wide age range, look for events described as open to multiple age groups rather than targeting one narrowly. Museum-based events and library programs tend to run longer time windows and allow more flexibility on arrival time, while school-hosted events may have fixed start times that require more precise planning.

If you've already attended something this year and your kids want to go back, many venues run multiple sessions across the festival period. It's worth checking whether the activity you liked is running again before the festival closes Sunday.

What's Next

The Cool Science Festival runs annually, with the 2027 edition expected to begin in early October next year. If this is your family's first year, it's worth bookmarking visitcos.com and checking back in September when the program typically opens for registration.

In the shorter term: D49 students return to school October 20. For families with kids in other districts, the next major school break will be Thanksgiving. The COS family event calendar typically fills in over the next few weeks with Halloween events, holiday shows, and school performances — check the Gazette's Springs Scene section and visitcos.com for the latest listings.