10 Great Places to See Science in the Works

Oct. 8, 2011— -- What do zombie fashion shows, crime lab tours and Rubik's cube contests have in common? You'll find them all at a science festival. These events function in the same way art and food festivals do - through public demonstrations and activities, most of them free. Science festivals started in England in the 1990s, says Ben Wiehe, manager of the Science Festival Alliance. "Each one is a tremendous amount of fun." He shares some favorites with LarryBleiberg for USA TODAY.

Cambridge Science Festival

Massachusetts

Cambridge is home to Harvard and MIT, so this celebration can draw on a lot of talent. It includes more than 200 activities in its nine-day run April 21-29. Events in restaurants, grocery stores and bars include the science of the perfect steak, for instance. A "Lunch with a Laureate" series lets you bring a brown bag to a casual discussion with a Nobel Prize winner. cambridgesciencefestival.org

USA Science and Engineering Festival

Washington, D.C.

This festival, which will fill the Washington, D.C. Convention Center with hundreds of hands-on science activities and demonstrations April 28-29, attracted more than 650,000 visitors last year. It will include appearances by MythBusters Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, and Bill Nye the Science Guy. "There's more than you can see in a single day," Wiehe says. 760-846-3473; usasciencefestival.org

Colorado Springs Cool Science Festival

Colorado

This former one-day celebration has extended to more than a week, and runs Oct. 15-22. Highlights include crime lab tours, a beer science event and visits to high-tech labs in the area. "It has expanded to become a real festival," Wiehe says. csscp.org/csfest/

Las Vegas Science Festival

From a Rubik's cube competition to nature walks in the southern Nevada wilderness, this festival, running April 29 to May 5, aims to show that there's more to Vegas than the Strip. Last year, events tackled such meaty topics as global warming and the relationship between science and religion. lasvegassciencefestival.com

Philadelphia Science Festival

This celebration made national news last year when it arranged for a robot to throw out the first pitch at a Phillies baseball game. But that was just the start. The festival, April 20- 29, included star-gazing in dozens of neighborhoods and its own craft-brewed beer served at events around town. "It instantly was a world-class science festival," Wiehe says. 215-448-2366; philasciencefestival.org

North Carolina Science Festival

Statewide

This April 13-19 festival stretches from the Blue Ridge to the Outer Banks, spanning the state. Events this year include "The Truth about 2012" in Elizabeth City, which examines the Mayan prophesy regarding the end of the world, and a 24-hour celebration marking the opening of the Nature Research Center, part of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. Last year featured a weather balloon launch and nature walks. 919-843-8329; ncsciencefestival.org

Bay Area Science Festival

California