Chabot Space & Science Center Presents TINKERFEST, 4/22

Continuing its commitment to offering a wide and changing variety of participatory science events and programs that engage and inspire all ages, Chabot Space & Science Center will present its first Tinkerfest on Saturday, April 22, from 10 am to 4 pm. Celebrating the creative, curious and innovative spirit in everyone, Tinkerfest will bring togethermakers, artists, and tinkerers from the Bay Area and across the US to showcase their work while inviting the public to join in DIY fun. During the day-long event, the entire Center will be activated inside and out with activities that highlight creativity and curiosity. Tinkerfest is geared towards a family audience but intriguing for everyone and all ages and skill levels can experiment and learn together. Partners and presenters for the event include the Scott Family Amazeum, Black Girls CODE, Project Ember, The Original Scraper Bike Team, Tinker Kitchen, Tenaya Hurst and RogueMaking, Tinkering Labs and Tinker Co. United Airlines is the official airline of Tinkerfest and Tinkerfest is included with regular admission to Chabot Space & Science Center; Adult: $18, Youth (ages 3 -12): $14, Seniors (65+) and Students (13-18 or college ID): $15; Members are Free. Tickets may be purchased at the door or online in advance at www.chabotspace.org .

A hallmark area of Tinkerfest is the "take apart" zone where tinkerers can see, touch, and learn how something works by assisting in dismantling it. A light aircraft engine and car engine take aparts will be featured during Tinkerfest. Other activities will include a giant multi-player Pac Man game, programming and playing with robots, how to safely use power tools, how to deck out your bike, playing with food, designing wearable art and washable electronic circuits for fashion and more.

"Tinkerfest is all about engaging with science, art and technology through playful, hands-on exploration," says Chabot Space & Science Center Executive Director Adam Tobin. "Tinkering is not only creative, inspiring and a lot of fun, it has always been a fundamental component of authentic scientific discovery. Tinkerfest combines the magic of a science laboratory, art studio and tinkerer's garage into a day-long celebration dedicated to 'take-aparts', creative contraptions, making, hands-on learning and the joy and wonder of unexpected discovery."

Event Partners and Activities:

Scott Family Amazeum

The Scott Family Amazeum, a hands-on museum for children and families in Northwest Arkansas, is the dream of a community to educate people in the best ways possible for whatever lies ahead and to engage the entire family in exploration, learning and fun.

The Amazeum will present a giant Multi-player Pac Man - we utilize makey makey and some large touch pads so two people have to work together to play this arcade game.

Black Girls CODE

Black Girls CODE is devoted to showing the world that black girls can code, and do so much more. By reaching out to the community through workshops and after school programs, Black Girls CODE introduces computer coding lessons to young girls from underrepresented communities in programming languages such as Scratch or Ruby on Rails. Black Girls CODE has set out to prove to the world that girls of every color have the skills to become the programmers of tomorrow.

Their interactive activity will give participants the opportunity to program and play with round robots. The hands-on experience will bring coding to life while showcasing how fun it is to learn the fundamentals of computer science.

Project Ember

Project Ember builds big. Their team teaches kids how to safely use professional power tools, announce a surprise design challenge, and unleash imaginations in design sessions. Then we build it, test it, improve it, play with it, ride on it, and show it off. Though every session and challenge is unique, one thing is guaranteed: kids will always be able to get in, climb on or operate creations of their very own design.

The Original Scraper Bike Team

The Scraper Bike Movement seeks to capture the creativity of youth living within dangerous communities. It gives them a positive outlet that is fun, educational and promotes healthy lifestyles. The Scraper Bike Movement offers youth a sustainable group of peers that is positive and motivating, expanding and enlightening young people's perspective on life through fixing and painting bicycles and supporting youth entrepreneurship.

Tinkerfest participants will learn how to deck out their bicycles.

Tinker Kitchen

Tinker Kitchen is a makerspace in the Mission District in San Francisco with all the kitchen cooking gadgets imaginable. Join them at the kitchen, swap cooking tips with other food hackers, learn cool new things, and embark on your own cooking adventures!

Tinkerfest participants can play with and eat their food at this delicious interactive experience.

Tenaya Hurst and RogueMaking:

Electrical Engineering can be complicated, but Tenaya gets you started with this safe way to be creative with circuits.

Tinkerfest participants will learn about wearable tech and prototype washable, sewable circuits.