Getting your kids excited about STEM won’t be a problem at the FutureFest.
Fusing the much loved KIDFest and World of Montgomery Festival into one family-friendly outing, the event is a celebration of innovation and diversity. As with most KID Museum events, FutureFest will foster excitement about learning by allowing kids to take part in hands-on experiences.
Starting at noon at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza, children and their families can take part in KID City, a five-hour long collaborative project that will build a futuristic city from the ground up.
Take your pick from an array of building experiences—stroll down Electronics Alley to build a light sculpture for the infinity room, or design and build your very own vehicle to race down the 18-foot Maker Highway track.
KID City will teach participants useful skills that are staples of modern STEM work, like basic coding or 3D printing design prototypes. By the end of the day, kids will have practical skills in engineering and, perhaps, a newfound love for the sciences.
At Cultural Crossroads, families can explore the rich and diverse communities within places like China, Ethiopia, India, and El Salvador through music and creative activities.
For the burgeoning tech whiz in your family, the festival’s Innovation Expo is the perfect place to geek out over high tech tools. While there, you can find out how our society is evolving with the application of sustainable farming practices or learn what the next frontier is for space exploration in the 21st century.
Have you ever wondered how the uber-modern rail system in Japan works? At the Central Japan Railway exhibit, visitors can learn how magnetic repulsion makes Super Conducting Magnetic Levitation trains possible with the help of miniature models and floating toys. Other featured exhibitors at the FutureFest include Westfield, Pepco, and Pella.
The festival will also include speaking appearances by Maryland senator Chris Van Hollen and Seth Goldman, the executive chairman of Beyond Meat.
FutureFest will take place Sept. 15 from noon to 5 PM at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza.
Madeline Rundlett is an editorial fellow for Washingtonian. She previously covered All-Met sports for the Washington Post and was an editorial intern at The Hill. Madeline graduated from the George Washington University with a degree in Political Communication in 2019.
