Cork Carnival of Science

Cork's Fitzgerald Park will be transformed into an unmissable Big Top science extravaganza on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th June 2022 as Cork's Carnival of Science makes a highly anticipated return. A carnival atmosphere will descend on Leeside as young and old are invited to explore, investigate, experiment, and discover the wonders of science, with free entry for all and more than 35 different science-based activities to enjoy! Supported by Cork City Council and Science Foundation Ireland, Cork Carnival of Science is organised by the Lifetime Lab @ Old Cork Waterworks and expects to draw thousands of visitors for this national and international celebration of science. Festival highlights include a packed line-up of live demonstrations, Big Top seated shows, hands on workshops and family-friendly experiments. Those attending on the day can try their hand at battery making, explore mechanics and engineering through Lego, journey into space, meet live zoo animals, check out the inner workings of robots, fly kites and extract DNA, just to name just a few! Headlining the Big Top, Little Top and Live Stage will be ‘Mark the Science Guy’ from RTE's science show ‘Let’s Find Out’, Science Magic from Belfast’s W5, Eureka from Edinburgh and Phil Smyth from Simply Science. The Cork Carnival of Science will ‘pop up’ in dramatic fashion, with gigantic circus tents, marquees, stands and stalls all being erected in what will not only be Ireland’s biggest outdoor science engagement event but the biggest temporary build in Fitzgerald’s Park since the famed Cork International Exhibition (World Fair) in 1902. Hands-on workshops are offered by the Royal Society of Chemistry, MadLab, learn it LEGO Education, Bubbly Maths and include marquees from Analog Devices featuring interactive exhibits and challenges, and a journey into space with Blackrock Castle Observatory. Throughout the day walk about performances will pop up from Eureka Edinburgh, Dr. Ken, and Circus 250. Activity stands will also be provided by Lifetime Lab, UCC Chemistry, UCC School of BEES, Fota Wildlife Park, Tyndall, Cork Sports Partnership and more, encouraging more people into a career in STEM. And with street cuisine, picnic benches, toilet facilities, a gigantic playground, extensive gardens, the Cork Public Museum and Café all on site it truly makes for the ultimate family day out! The Carnival of Science aims to be as sustainable as possible and will not only be promoting sustainability initiatives at the event but will operate a 3-bin system to encourage recycling and composting of waste, signage will be reused, and single use plastic will be avoided by not offering bottled water and opting to avoid balloons. Make sure to get your hands on the festival brochure on arrival, which includes a colourful map of Fitzgerald’s Park with all the festival attractions laid out alongside the key what, where and when details of...