UNMC
As March Madness winds down, Nebraskans can fill their April calendar with the 2025 Nebraska Science Festival and a full slate of science and technology-related activities.
Presented by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the annual statewide festival allows participants to discover the importance of science and how it is intertwined in their daily lives. Interactive, relevant and fun activities – for every age and interest – are planned.
View the entire festival schedule (with details and registration links) at NESciFest.com.
Among the highlights:
- Walk to the Moon Challenge: NE SciFest is challenging everyone in Nebraska to show their love of science by participating in a 30-day exercise challenge that collectively will take us to the moon. The challenge will start April 1 and end April 30. Any type of exercise will count (miles, minutes or steps) and all exercise will be converted into steps for the challenge. The challenge will require us to cover 238,855 miles or 477,710,000 steps, so plan your exercise schedule.
- FREE Public Science Expo: Join us at the 2025 Public Science Expo for engaging hands-on learning opportunities. The free public expo on April 26 at The Durham Museum will be held from 9 a.m. to noon. Attendees will interact with a variety of science-related booths and hear from the KETV weather team, who will present in The Stanley and Dorothy Truhlsen Lecture Hall at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Admission is free, but tickets are required (and accessible via the NE SciFest website).
- Galactic Peanut Butter Blitz: Available all month long at eCreamery in Omaha’s Dundee neighborhood, science (and ice cream) fans of all ages can enjoy a special festival ice cream flavor of chocolate ice cream, Reese's Pieces, Reese's Cups and cookie dough.
- Mad Science Café – Join No More Empty Pots and NE SciFest on April 5 from 2-4 p.m. and learn how to make a variety of flavored drink syrups to create milk, fruit and sparkling teas; tapioca and popping boba; and flavored cold foams. Customize your own drink and then mix up some unusual snacks with roasted bugs. Space is limited; registration is required.
- Science Sunday at The RiverFront: Join the Nebraska Science Festival for Science Sunday from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Omaha RiverFront. During this free, family-friendly hour, participants will learn about nature, animals, medicine and more with hands-on science activities (while supplies last). Science Sunday activities include:
- April 6 – Tin Foil Watercolor Eggs
- April 13 – Seed Bombs
- April 27 – Constellation Making
- MCC Science Day: Stop by the Metropolitan Community College South Omaha Campus, Mahoney building, on Saturday, April 12 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., for kid-friendly hands-on activities that encompass science disciplines ranging from physics to chemistry to biology.
- Raptor Trivia at Kros Strain: On April 15, put your raptor knowledge to the test with a thrilling trivia competition from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Kros Strain Brewing in LaVista, Nebraska. Questions will cover a range of topics, from species identification and habitats to hunting techniques and conservation efforts. Prizes include raptor merch that you can find only at Fontenelle Forest!
- Kennedy Elementary School: Stop by Kennedy Elementary for a STEAM Family Night on April 17, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. featuring robotics, rockets, Hovercrafts, fire truck, urban gardening, 3D pens, water science, laser utting and more!
- Seeds & Sprouts: Looking for a fun, educational and hands-on activity for the whole family? Bring your loved ones closer to nature with Crete Public Library’s Seeds & Sprouts program! Whether you’re seasoned gardeners or beginners, there’s something for everyone.
- Omaha Science Café: Giorgia Picci, PhD, director of the Cognitive Affective Neurodevelopment in Youth Laboratory at the Boys Town National Research Hospital Institute for Human Neuroscience, will present “The Teenage Brain Today” on April 22 at 7 p.m. at the Slowdown in downtown Omaha.
- NE Star Party: This event is for all lovers of space science and astronomy. On Saturday, April 26, Branched Oak Observatory will open its doors and train its telescopes to the skies. Between 9 p.m. and midnight, SciFest fans can explore the wonders of the night sky through a variety of telescopes.
Visit NE SciFest for more activities (events continue to be added) including: the science of ice cream and dry ice, Lincoln Earth Day, a statewide art contest, incredible edible landfill at the Omaha Public Library, Lego's at the Kearney Library, sharp-tailed grouse viewing, plant fair, and more.
Presented by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the Nebraska Science Festival is a collaboration of organizations and individuals interested in the advancement of science literacy. In addition to UNMC, other sponsors are Boys Town, Metro Credit Union, KETV and the Omaha Public Schools Foundation.