Northern California’s largest free science celebration returns to UCSF Mission Bay on Saturday, Oct. 17, with a five-hour public festival built around hands-on demonstrations, experiments, games, talks and science activities.
The Bay Area Science Festival says its 13th edition runs 11 a.m.–4 p.m. at Koret Quad and will include 125+ hands-on experiences. General festival admission is free and open to all.
Do you need a ticket for the Bay Area Science Festival?
No general-admission ticket is required for the main festival. The organizer’s FAQ says the event is free of charge and open to all.
The exception is the limited-capacity behind-the-scenes lab and facility tours. Those tours are also free, but they require advance online registration.
How do the lab tours work?
The tour program is designed for small groups of roughly 12–20 people and leaves at 12:30 p.m. or 2:30 p.m.. The organizer asks people to sign up for only one tour and limits households to four tickets.
Tours are for ages 12 and up. Ages 12–15 must attend with a parent or guardian; 16–17-year-olds can attend with a permission form. Registered attendees are asked to arrive at the tour check-in table 40 minutes before their departure time.
What happens at the main festival?
The main Koret Quad program brings together universities, museums, cultural institutions, research labs, schools, nonprofits, companies and government groups. The organizer describes 125+ activities ranging from demonstrations and hands-on experiments to robotics, games, film screenings and science talks.
Where is the festival?
The event is at UCSF Mission Bay Campus, Koret Quad, around 4th Street and Campus Way. Mission Bay is well served by Muni and is also walkable from several nearby neighborhoods, making transit a strong option for a family event expected to draw substantial crowds.
What about parking and accessibility?
The festival FAQ lists nearby UCSF garages with ADA spaces. Visitors with a valid DMV-issued disabled placard can use a reduced $7 daily rate at the UCSF Community Center Garage at 1625 Owens Street and the UCSF Third Street Garage at 1650 Third Street.
Most exhibits are along paved pathways or indoors. Some activities sit on grass, but the organizer says they can be reached from the paved perimeter around Koret Quad. ADA portable restrooms and indoor restrooms at the Mission Bay Conference Center are also listed.
The organizer cautions that the event will be busy and loud, particularly for families who may need sensory accommodations.
How should you plan the day?
If a lab tour is the priority, reserve that first because capacity is small. Then build the rest of the visit around the tour departure time. If you are only attending the main festival, arriving earlier gives you more time to work through the 125+ activities before the 4 p.m. close.
Check the SF News Today transit desk before leaving for any same-day Mission Bay service changes.