San Diego, CA—February, 2019—The Fleet Science Center has planned an amazing week of fun science events to coincide with the annual San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering, taking place Saturday, March 2, through Sunday, March 10, 2019.  

The festival kicks off with EXPO Day at PETCO Park on Saturday, March 2. The event is free and open to the public. Look for the Fleet's booth at the festival for exciting science interactives, and keep an eye on the main stage to witness loud, messy and shocking science from the Fleet's Don't Try This at Home! live show.

Throughout the rest of the week, the Fleet will host an abundance of science- and technology-themed events for all ages, including STEM demonstrations at neighborhood libraries and an IMAX® film festival. This is all in addition to the regular collection of interactive exhibits at the Fleet and the science center’s current collection of permanent exhibitions, including Pause|Play and our daily live show, Don't Try This at Home!

The Fleet also has a special lineup of 21+ events planned for the week, including a special Suds & Science presentation on neurodegeneration, an engaging conversation with scientists and artists as part of the Fleet’s Two Scientists Walk Into a Bar® and Fleet Night of Science, which features snacks and drinks as well as access to the Fleet’s newest exhibitions.

Here is the full rundown of the Festival events the Fleet has planned:

52 Weeks of Science, a program organized by the Fleet, offers free STEM events for all ages on March 4, March 5 and March 7, as well as throughout the month. All 52 Weeks of Science events are free and take place at various locations in Clairemont and Barrio Logan.  On Monday, March 4, the Fleet hosts Sharp Minds, a lecture series in conjunction with Senior Mondays, where participants can learn from local scientists about their latest research and discoveries. The lecture is free with the purchase of the noon IMAX ticket. Also on March 4, Suds & Science spotlights neurodegeneration and brain plasticity. This 21+ event costs $5 and will be held at Stone Brewing in Liberty Station.  Tuesday, March 5, is Residents’ Free Day. As a thank you to San Diego County residents, the Fleet offers free admission to the museum’s regular exhibit galleries on the first Tuesday of every month. Also on March 5, the Fleet is hosting The Ultimate Bartender Battle for the 21+ crowd at Royale. Five local bartenders will be working with five local scientists to create the best tasting, best looking, most exciting and overall best cocktail.  On March 6, the Fleet is hosts surfers Chris Clark and Phil Bresnahan at Amplified for a discussion of the science behind surfing and how surfers can take an active part in helping ocean and coast line preservation efforts.  In conjunction with the Center for Ethics in Science and Technology, the Fleet Science Center welcomes guests to encounter science from an ethical viewpoint. During the Wednesday, March 6, session, the discussion will focus on cybersecurity research. This event is free. Please visit ethicscenter.net to register. The Fleet Science Center's montly planetarium show, The Sky Tonight, will discuss Ice Giants on Wednesday, March 6, at 7 and 8:15 p.m. The show is followed by telescope viewings with the San Diego Astronomy Association.  The Fleet will host a special edition of Two Scientists Walk Into a Bar on Thursday, March 7. This event is putting the "A" in STEAM by bringing a scientist and an artist to a bar to engage in interesting conversations with patrons. Check to see if they'll be at your favorite watering holes throughout the county.  Weekend Science Club meets on the second weekend of each month to investigate exciting science topics. Saturday, March 9, is Saturday Science Club for girls in grades 5–8, and Sunday, March 10 is for all students in grades 5–8. This month, Weekend Science Clubs will be celebrating all things Pi in celebration of Pi Day on March 14. On March 9, come down to Balboa Park for Fleet Night of Science, an event for chic geeks 21+. This adults-only event allows visitors to have the Science Center all to themselves after hours. Don't miss the chance to explore the Fleet's newest exhibition, Pause|Play, dedicated to recapturing the nostalgia of your childhood playground experiences. No Adulting Allowed!  Don’t miss the IMAX Film Festival at the Fleet March 9 and 10. In celebration of the Fleet’s 46th anniversary, Fleet favorites and giant-screen classics will screen every hour from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Catch one film or max out with multiple screenings.

 

In addition to these events, the Fleet will be open for regular gallery hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The Fleet galleries feature fun, interactive science exhibits and our current set of traveling exhibitions, including Pause|Play, Kid City and Studio X. There are also IMAX® films screening hourly in the Eugene Heikoff and Marilyn Jacobs Heikoff Giant Dome Theater.

The San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering is a nine-day educational experience designed to engage and encourage kids in science and engineering and work with parents and teachers to inspire today's students to become tomorrow's STEM innovators.

For more information about the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering, please visit www.lovestemsd.org.

For more information about Fleet events during the week of Saturday, March 2, to Sunday, March 10, please visit www.fleetscience.org.

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To schedule a media preview or interview for any of the listed events, please contact Fleet Science Center Communications Manager Karla Nafarrate at 619-685-5743 or knafarrate@rhfleet.org.

Interviews can be scheduled with the Fleet's CEO, Dr. Steve Snyder, as well as many of the presenters, experts and organizers of the Fleet events and the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering.

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About the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering

The San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering is a ten-day educational experience including interactive demonstrations, hands-on activities and dynamic speakers to engage kids and families in all that encompasses STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). The week kicks-off with its largest event, EXPO Day on Saturday, March 2, at PETCO Park. EXPO Day is free and open to the public. Hundreds of community businesses and organizations will participate in EXPO Day in addition to over 60 programs and events that will follow throughout the week all throughout the county of San Diego. More than 75,000 kids, parents, teachers, industry leaders and community members are anticipated to attend during Festival Week.