The countdown is on for the Stirling Science Festival as families get set for three days of fun, experiments and exploration.
The festival returns from this Thursday 17 October to Saturday 19 October - and most of the family-friendly events are free of charge for all who attend.
Popular events include star gazing at the Stirling Observatory, Dynamic Earth’s Planetarium, the Collage Animation workshop at The Tolbooth, and the Games Design workshop at Codebase all of which have already sold-out.
Stirling Council Leader, Cllr Margaret Brisley, said: “The Stirling Science Festival is proving more popular than ever before, with several events reaching capacity just days after our launch earlier this month. It’s tremendous to see the community getting behind such a wonderful event, especially as we celebrate our 900th anniversary.
“There are still so many interesting and interactive things to do, for all age groups. It’s a packed programme and we know parents appreciate and welcome the fact that so many events are free of charge during the October school holiday week.
“It will be great to see so many venues so busy over the three days, from The Tolbooth to The Thistle, as well as our libraries, museums and magnificent Albert Halls. It’s little wonder the Stirling Science Festival has become such a much-loved addition to our events programme since it first took place in 2019.
“We want to encourage exploration and discovery in the minds of our children, young people – and adults. Most of all, we want to inspire fun and learning for all age groups.
“We look forward to engaging with local people and visitors to interact with the wonderful world of science and nature.”
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![Dynamic Earth’s Planetarium is one of the events which has already sold out.]()
Dynamic Earth’s Planetarium is one of the events which has already sold out. (Image: Dynamic Earth)
Here is everything you need to know about the event.
Organised by Stirling Council, with funding from the Scottish Government, events are taking place at a range of local venues such as The Albert Halls, Thistles Centre and The Smith Museum, as well as local libraries.
Highlights include Castles Rock, an interactive show from the team at the Glasgow Science Centre that delves into the science and engineering of Scotland’s famous castles – including Stirling.
The Computing Science and Maths team at the University of Stirling will host a lecture for all ages at The Smith Museum. It will explain the mathematical landscape of the 12th century, when King David I bestowed Royal Burgh status on Stirling, and unravel the intriguing properties of the number 900 itself.
Further options include potion making at a Harry Potter Book Day at Central Library, bird feeder creation at The Thistles, Lego building and STEM crafts at The Tolbooth – and even Benji the Bus in Bannockburn.
Other highlights of the festival include:
Nature Trail (All ages)
Become an honorary wildlife biologist at The Stirling Smith during the Stirling Science Festival. Grab a ‘Spot it’ activity sheet and get to work in the biodiversity garden, seeking out signs of plant and animal life.
Circus Skills Performances Around Town
Look out for circus performers and learn a trick or two!
Stirling 900 Banner Making at Albert Halls (Lesser Hall)
All ages are welcome from 12pm-4pm on Saturday, 19th October to wave the flag for Stirling with their own designs to celebrate our 900th anniversary as a Royal Burgh.
Ultrasound Scanning Of The Human Anatomy
See what goes under your skin using modern Ultrasound technology, with scanning that can see inside muscles, tendons and ligaments and how they move in our body. Drop in to the Albert Halls between 12pm-4pm on Saturday, 19 October.
More details for all events can be found here - www.stirlingsciencefestival.org
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