Kingston’s Science Rendezvous returns to in-person, interactive festival

Kids and adults alike can explore the wonders of science this weekend at the annual Science Rendezvous Live event. Taking place on Saturday, May 7, 2022, the science festival will “make Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) accessible to all,” according to the organizers.

Over 25 interactive displays will be set up at the Leon’s Centre, covering topics like space research, the human brain and heart, mining, climate, robotics, and more. Organizers said that visitors will have the chance to see real fossils of Ice Age creatures, and try out a hoverboard.

Last year, for the event’s 10th anniversary celebrations (which were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), virtual presentations were held with experts from many different scientific fields. According to organizers, over 29,000 individuals participated in the virtual events.

“We knew that, in the past, our event was family focused and welcomed by educators and communities across south-eastern Ontario. We also recognized that May 2021 would bring most welcome springtime weather, and with it, a focus on outdoor family time, so we opted to extend our program beyond one day,” event organizers Lynda Colgan and Kim Garrett shared in a report detailing the 2021 event. “After all, if Saturday, May 8, 2021, was a glorious, warm and sunny day, who would want to stay inside at the computer?”

Due to the pandemic, Science Rendezvous Kingston was expanded to a 16-day event in 2021 to coincide with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Science Odyssey program, according to the report.

This year, events will take place from May 7 to May 22, and feature a mix of in-person and virtual events, with Science Rendezvous Kingston Live! happening from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 7, 2022. No registration is required, but a curious disposition will go far.

Visit the Science Rendezvous website for more details and a list of the festival’s other events taking place around town and online.