The Flagstaff Festival of Science is pleased to present “The Mammoth World of Science” September 22- October 1, 2023! The Festival features 10-days of engaging events and programs, all free, for the community to enjoy and celebrate the wonders of science!

This year’s theme has been designed to showcase the fascinating research and scientific discovery of Beth Shapiro, PhD.

The Festival offers a wide variety of presentations, hands-on workshops, interactive discussions, classroom talks and guided tours led by outstanding Flagstaff scientists and STEAM professionals. Festival-goers will have the opportunity to learn about ancient cultures, the environment of the Colorado Plateau, wildlife, astronomy and biology, as well as many topics at the intersection of the sciences and the arts.

Festival events highlight the innovative research happening right here in Flagstaff! Events are held in a variety of venues and institutions throughout northern Arizona.

2023 SCHEDULE

September 21

Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition Star Party 6:00 pm

BUFFALO PARK 

Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition Star Party 6:00 pm

BUFFALO PARK 

Science Bedtime Stories: A Rattler's Tale (ON DEMAND VIDEO) 7:00 pm 

Science Bedtime Stories: All About the Grand Canyon (ON DEMAND VIDEO) 7:00 pm 

Science Bedtime Stories: Sharuko (ON DEMAND VIDEO) 7:00 pm 

Science Bedtime Stories: The Red Tail Tale on the Arizona Trail (ON DEMAND VIDEO) 7:00 pm

September 22

The A in STEAM. Using Art to learn about Symmetry! 1:30 pm

WINSLOW PUBLIC LIBRARY 

Learning About Our Star: The Sun 2:00 pm

COMMUNITY ROOM - EAST FLAGSTAFF COMMUNITY LIBRARY 

Plein Air in Open Spaces 3:00 pm

BUFFALO PARK RAMADA 

Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition Star Party 6:00 pm

BUFFALO PARK 

The W. L. Gore & Associates Keynote Presentation: The Mammoth World of Science 7:00 pm

NAU ARDREY AUDITORIUM 

Campus Sky Viewing 7:30 pm

NAU CAMPUS OBSERVATORY 

Science Bedtime Stories Read by Local Authors (ON DEMAND) 8:00 pm

September 23

Cliffs Ranger Station Open House 9:00 am

WALNUT CANYON NATIONAL MONUMENT VISITOR CENTER 

Science Day at Walnut Canyon National Monument 9:00 am

WALNUT CANYON NATIONAL MONUMENT VISITOR CENTER 

Dow Springs Hike 10:00 am

DOW SPRING TRAILHEAD ON FOREST ROAD 131 

Snook's Science in the Park 10:00 am

WHEELER PARK 

Exploring the lifesaving world of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 1:00 pm

FLAGSTAFF MEDICAL CENTER PARKING LOT - SOUTHWEST CORNER OF BEAVER AND FOREST 

Meet and Greet the da Vinci Robot at FMC! 1:00 pm

FLAGSTAFF MEDICAL CENTER MCGEE AUDITORIUM 

Designed to Move: Seeds That Float, Fly or Hitchhike through the Desert Southwest 2:00 pm

MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA - PEARSON HALL 

"What If...": Festival of Science Speculative Fiction 3:00 pm

FLAGSTAFF DOWNTOWN LIBRARY COMMUNITY ROOM 

NAU Robotics Workshop: an interactive experience to learn about robots! 3:00 pm

NAU ENGINEERING BUILDING (BUILDING 69) ROOM 224 

Tynkertopia Open House 3:00 pm

TYNKERTOPIA 

Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition Star Party 6:00 pm

BUFFALO PARK 

The State of the Climate: What's New in Climate Science and Solutions AND Energy Efficiency Incentive Information 6:00 pm

LOWELL OBSERVATORY 

Campus Sky Viewing 7:30 pm

NAU CAMPUS OBSERVATORY 

Science Bedtime Stories Read by Local Authors (ON DEMAND) 8:00 pm

September 24

Walking on the Moon: Where Apollo Astronauts Trained 9:00 am

LANDFILL ROAD TRAILHEAD 

Where Astronauts Trained 9:00 am

LANDFILL ROAD TRAILHEAD 

Explore, Learn, Discover: Geocaching at Tynkertopia 10:00 am

TYNKERTOPIA 

Public Day at Elden Pueblo 10:00 am

ELDEN PUEBLO 

The History of Science in Flagstaff: Missions and Madness Adventure Game 10:00 am

WHEELER PARK WAR MEMORIAL 

Writing with Science 11:00 am

PLANET SCIENCE 

Tour of the Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station 1:00 pm

US NAVAL OBSERVATORY 

Bookmans Science Writing Fair 2:00 pm

BOOKMANS FLAGSTAFF ENTERTAINMENT EXCHANGE 

Tour of the Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station 3:00 pm

US NAVAL OBSERVATORY 

Campus Sky Viewing 7:30 pm

NAU CAMPUS OBSERVATORY 

View the Night Sky at the US Naval Observatory 7:30 pm

US NAVAL OBSERVATORY 

Science Bedtime Stories Read by Local Authors (ON DEMAND) 8:00 pm

September 25

Tour of the Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station 1:00 pm

US NAVAL OBSERVATORY 

Tour of the Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station 3:00 pm

US NAVAL OBSERVATORY 

Anime Tales & Play: Science in Anime 3:15 pm

COMMUNITY ROOM - EAST FLAGSTAFF COMMUNITY LIBRARY 

Walk on Mars 3:30 pm

NORTHLAND PREPARATORY ACADEMY GYM 

A discussion of DNA and ethics (LIVE STREAM ALSO AVAILABLE) 4:00 pm

LOWELL OBSERVATORY 

Race Robots with the CocoNuts! 4:15 pm

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF FLAGSTAFF 

Climate Change and the Colorado River Compact's Next 100 Years (LIVE STREAM ALSO AVAILABLE) 5:00 pm

LOWELL OBSERVATORY 

Grand Canyon Astronomy 5:00 pm

PLANET SCIENCE 

Lowell Observatory Open House 5:00 pm

LOWELL OBSERVATORY 

Astronomy Discovery Center Building Site Hard Hat Tours 5:30 pm

LOWELL OBSERVATORY 

Healthy Forests and a Fire Adapted Flagstaff 6:30 pm

COCONINO CENTER FOR THE ARTS 

View the Night Sky at the US Naval Observatory 7:30 pm

US NAVAL OBSERVATORY

Science Bedtime Stories Read by Local Authors (ON DEMAND) 8:00 pm

September 26

Cloud Walk at Buffalo Park 9:00 am

BUFFALO PARK ENTRANCE

Toddler Tales 10:00 am

FLAGSTAFF DOWNTOWN LIBRARY COMMUNITY ROOM

Cloud Walk at Buffalo Park 11:00 am

BUFFALO PARK ENTRANCE

Cloud Walk at Buffalo Park 1:00 pm

BUFFALO PARK ENTRANCE

MNA Paleontology Collections Open House 3:00 pm

MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA - BRADY GEOLOGY BUILDING

NPS Science: Learn about Bats and Be an Archeologist 3:00 pm

BUSHMASTER PARK - EAST SIDE RAMADAS 

Build-A-Bot Workshop 3:30 pm

TYNKERTOPIA 

Crafty Corner 3:30 pm

COMMUNITY ROOM - EAST FLAGSTAFF COMMUNITY LIBRARY 

Tagging Monarch Butterflies on their Fall Migration 3:30 pm

BUBBLING PONDS FISH HATCHERY- CORNVILLE 

Let's Build an Eclipse Viewer! 3:45 pm

FLAGSTAFF DOWNTOWN LIBRARY COMMUNITY ROOM 

Dinosaurs of the Navajo Nation 4:00 pm

MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA - PEARSON HALL 

McMillan Mesa Family Program 4:00 pm

BUFFALO PARK 

The Sunset Crater - Cinder Lake Apollo Mission Testing and Training Historic District (LIVE STREAM ALSO AVAILABLE) 4:00 pm

LOWELL OBSERVATORY 

"Dark Sky" Your Home 5:00 pm

COCONINO CENTER FOR THE ARTS 

Mars Rover Update (LIVE STREAM ALSO AVAILABLE) 5:00 pm

LOWELL OBSERVATORY 

From Mind to Design: Using free and easy 3D design software to explore and create imaginative 3D objects 5:30 pm

NAU CLINE LIBRARY MAKER LAB 

Astronomy Nights 6:15 pm

TYNKERTOPIA 

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test: A Crash Course in Planetary Defense (LIVE STREAM ONLY) 6:30 pm 

Science Bedtime Stories Read by Local Authors (ON DEMAND) 8:00 pm

September 27

Preschool Express 10:00 am

FLAGSTAFF DOWNTOWN LIBRARY COMMUNITY ROOM 

Family Storytime: Prehistoric Storytime 10:30 am

COMMUNITY ROOM - EAST FLAGSTAFF COMMUNITY LIBRARY 

Downtown Geology Tour 1:00 pm

MOUNTAIN SPORTS FLAGSTAFF 

STEM Poster Session 1:00 pm

NAU DUBOIS CENTER 

Downtown "Through the Lens of Time" Guided Tour 2:30 pm 

Build-A-Bot Workshop 3:30 pm

TYNKERTOPIA

Tagging Monarch Butterflies on their Fall Migration 3:30 pm

BUBBLING PONDS FISH HATCHERY- CORNVILLE 

Creation Station: Blast from the Past 3:45 pm

FLAGSTAFF DOWNTOWN LIBRARY COMMUNITY ROOM 

For Birds, Just Add Water 4:00 pm

KACHINA WETLANDS ENTRANCE

The Story of a Snowflake (LIVE STREAM ALSO AVAILABLE) 4:00 pm

LOWELL OBSERVATORY 

Animal Bones! Identifying Different Bones and Animals 5:00 pm

PLANET SCIENCE 

Ferruginous Hawk: Northern Arizona's Best Kept Secret (LIVE STREAM ALSO AVAILABLE) 5:00 pm

LOWELL OBSERVATORY 

The Science and Engineering of Beer 5:00 pm

WANDERLUST BREWERY 

Climate Fresk Workshop 5:30 pm

NACET ACCELERATOR BUILDING - CONFERENCE ROOM 

Healthy eating: the effects food has on us 5:30 pm

CHABAD OF FLAGSTAFF 

Astronomy Nights 6:15 pm

TYNKERTOPIA 

A Trip Through Time Around the San Francisco Peaks (LIVE STREAM ONLY) 6:30 pm 

Science Bedtime Stories Read by Local Authors (ON DEMAND) 8:00 pm

September 28

Toddler Tales 9:15 am

FLAGSTAFF DOWNTOWN LIBRARY COMMUNITY ROOM 

Preschool Express 10:00 am

FLAGSTAFF DOWNTOWN LIBRARY COMMUNITY ROOM 

Lego Club: Lego Skeletons 3:00 pm

COMMUNITY ROOM - EAST FLAGSTAFF COMMUNITY LIBRARY 

Build-A-Bot Workshop 3:30 pm

TYNKERTOPIA 

Magnificent Mammals of the Ice Age 3:45 pm

FLAGSTAFF DOWNTOWN LIBRARY COMMUNITY ROOM 

Ancient Peru Before the Inka: Diet, Migration, and Llamas During Imperial Control (LIVE STREAM ALSO AVAILABLE) 4:00 pm

LOWELL OBSERVATORY 

McMillan Mesa Community Guided Hike 4:00 pm

BUFFALO PARK 

Global Volcanism Update (LIVE STREAM ALSO AVAILABLE) 5:00 pm

LOWELL OBSERVATORY 

Women in STEAM Networking Event 5:30 pm 

Astronomy Nights 6:15 pm

TYNKERTOPIA 

Pride in Your Community: Out in STEM 6:30 pm

COMMUNITY ROOM - EAST FLAGSTAFF COMMUNITY LIBRARY 

Science-Telling Through Story 6:30 pm 

Science Bedtime Stories Read by Local Authors (ON DEMAND)8:00 pm

September 29

Rodent Control without Poisons 4:00 pm

LOWELL OBSERVATORY 

Complexities of Co-Existing with Carnivores - A Global Perspective 5:00 pm

LOWELL OBSERVATORY 

SCI Talks Presented by Mammoth (IN PERSON and VIRTUAL) 6:30 pm

COCONINO CENTER FOR THE ARTS 

Campus Sky Viewing 7:30 pm

NAU CAMPUS OBSERVATORY 

Science Bedtime Stories Read by Local Authors (ON DEMAND) 8:00 pm

September 30

Harrenburg Wash Tour 9:00 am

PUMPHOUSE WASH TRAILHEAD 

Lava River Cave Guided Hike 9:00 am

LAVA RIVER CAVE TRAILHEAD 

Post-Fire Botany walk! 9:00 am

PARKING PULL OUT AT THE INTERSECTION OF LOCKETT MEADOW RD AND FOREST ROAD 418

Camp Colton on the Prairie 10:00 am

CAMP COLTON 

CCA Youth Art Drawing Workshop (Ages 8 to 10) 10:00 am

COCONINO CENTER FOR THE ARTS 

Dow Springs Hike 10:00 am

DOW SPRING TRAILHEAD ON FOREST ROAD 131 

Outdoor Microbe & Vector Tour! 10:00 am

BUFFALO PARK ENTRANCE 

Plein Air in Open Spaces 10:00 am

PICTURE CANYON NATURAL AND CULTURAL PRESERVE 

The Diverse World of Sustainable Building 10:00 am

WILLOW BEND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER 

Tynkertopia Open House 10:00 am

TYNKERTOPIA 

National Weather Service Open House 11:00 am

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 

Post-Fire Botany walk! 11:00 am

PARKING PULL OUT AT THE INTERSECTION OF LOCKETT MEADOW RD AND FOREST ROAD 418 

Science Day at MNA Open House 11:00 am

MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA - BRADY GEOLOGY BUILDING 

CCA Youth Art Drawing Workshop (Ages 11 to 16) 1:00 pm

COCONINO CENTER FOR THE ARTS 

A Century of Ecological Change at Hart Prairie 2:00 pm

HART PRAIRIE PRESERVE 

Last of the Ice Age Mammoths on the Colorado Plateau 2:00 pm

MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA - BRANIGAR HALL 

Shakespeare's understanding of the body compared to our medical knowledge of today 4:00 pm

MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA - BRANIGAR HALL 

Photographing Flagstaff's Dark Skies: Astrophotography Basics & Insights with John Gartin 6:00 pm

COCONINO CENTER FOR THE ARTS 

Planting the Seeds of Our Ancestors Film Screening and Q&A 6:00 pm

MURDOCH CENTER 

Campus Sky Viewing 7:30 pm

NAU CAMPUS OBSERVATORY 

Science Bedtime Stories Read by Local Authors (ON DEMAND) 8:00 pm

October 1

Historical Archaeology Tour of Apex, Arizona 8:00 am

MEETING LOCATION PROVIDED AFTER RESERVATION MADE 

Neighbor Appreciation Day at Meteor Crater & Barringer Space Museum 8:00 am

METEOR CRATER 

The History of Science in Flagstaff: Missions and Madness Adventure Game 10:00 am

WHEELER PARK WAR MEMORIAL 

Rogers Lake Community Forest 10:30 am

ROGERS LAKE COUNTY NATURAL AREA 

Are Saker Falcons losing the Game of Life? 1:00 pm

COMMUNITY ROOM - EAST FLAGSTAFF COMMUNITY LIBRARY 

USGS Open House 1:00 pm

USGS FLAGSTAFF SCIENCE CAMPUS 

Keyhole Sink Guided Hike 2:00 pm 

Chasing The Arizona Monsoon (LIVE STREAM ONLY) 5:30 pm

Campus Sky Viewing 7:30 pm

NAU CAMPUS OBSERVATORY

Science Bedtime Stories Read by Local Authors (ON DEMAND) 8:00 pm

Keynote tickets are now available for reservation.

All other programs requiring a reservation will be open for booking on Sept. 8th.

Keynote Tickets

Festival Date: September 22 - October 1, 2023

Location:   Various Locations and Institutions in Flagstaff, AZ  

Click here for more inforamtion