Hosting an Event
for the 2026 Atlanta Science Festival!

Saturday, March 7 – Saturday, March 21

We’re so excited to have the 13th annual Atlanta Science Festival return this spring! Join in as we host 100+ events over a two week period every March. The window for submitting proposals for events is now closed, but if you’ve spoken with us about an extension, you may still apply using the button below.

Apply now (I have an extension!)

The success of the Atlanta Science Festival depends upon collaboration. Local museums, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, community groups and businesses work together to produce and promote Festival events that encourage conversations and inspire curiosity about regional STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) research and innovation.

Whether you’re a new partner or a seasoned ASF event host, we can’t wait to hear what ideas you have! So partner with us and propose your creative ideas to engage the community as part of the 2026 Festival.

New to ASF?

We love welcoming new partners to the Festival family! Start by checking out our Partner Guide below to help get an idea of what it’s like and decide how you want to get involved, whether it’s an expo booth or an event!

Not a big reader? No problem! Watch our video to get up to speed.

Questions still? Feel free to contact us!

Are You a Returning Partner?

Welcome back! Not much has changed since last year (if you need a refresher, check out the Partner Guide below or watch the video). A few items of note for 2026…

We’ll be kicking off the festival this year with Georgia Tech’s Celebrate STEAM event! With that said, no events will be permitted before 10:30am on Saturday, March 7.
We’ve once again got funding for great ideas! See details in the form.
Our ticketing software has gone through some great updates, which will make the process much more seamless for event hosts! In addition, we will once again have a staggered ticket release. Most paid and large scale events will have their tickets released in late January. Free/low cost/small scale events will release tickets in February.

Atlanta Science Festival Event Partner Guide

Benefits of Participation

Gain Community Visibility
A core objective of ASF is to showcase the impressive advances in STEM in our region. This might be research at our colleges/universities, developments at our local companies, or education initiatives at our cultural institutions. We want to highlight all the amazing science in our region. This includes the work from your organization!
Access New Audiences
With tens of thousands of attendees annually, it’s clear – Atlanta loves the Festival! Our yearly evaluations illustrate a high level of engagement across a diverse community, with a race/ethnicity distribution reflective of the metro region. By creating a program for the Festival, you and your organization will be able to reach new diverse audiences across our region, drawing them to your venue, and advertising for your year-round efforts as well.
Connect with other Science, Cultural, and Educational Institutions
The Festival has proven to be a central point of connection for people and organizations in our city who are passionate about STEAM education. As a Partner, there are a multitude of opportunities to share in these connections, together growing new ideas for exciting events and collaborations to spread our mutual love of STEAM with the public. Consistently, half of our partners report that they’ve made connections through ASF that resulted in new professional collaborations. So, join us and make some new friends!

Partner Roles and Responsibilities

Produce an Event
In organizing your event, we ask that you adhere to our deadlines so that we can be ready to present the Festival as a whole package to the public. Partners are also encouraged to exhibit at the Exploration Expo.
Promote your Own Event and the Whole Festival
- Link to ASF from your organization’s website.
- Like and follow ASF social media accounts, sharing our relevant posts. We will also follow you and promote your organization and posts throughout the year.
- Promote your ASF events in email and social media blasts to staff and constituents. You’ll get access to our assets upon approval of your event.
- Post signage/booklets/bookmarks/etc. for ASF in public areas
Complete Program Proposal and Legal Forms
Come Meet Up with Us!
Part of our goal is to build community amongst us like-minded folks. As we’ve worked to reduce our budget, we’ve had to cut out our Festival schedule launch party, but we hope to see you at our partner happy hours in December and March! We will also ask you to come by our offices to pick up materials for your event, if possible!

Timeline

Sept 4:
Event Proposal Window Opens
Sept 12:
Virtual Office Hours
Have questions before you submit your proposal? Ask us here!
Oct 6:
Virtual Office Hours
Have questions before you submit your proposal? Ask us here!
Oct 17:
PROPOSAL DEADLINE
Nov 7:
All Notifications Sent
Dec 5:
EVENT DETAILS FINALIZED
In order for our team to have everything in place for schedule launch, we need all event details finalized and sent to us by December 5.
Dec 9:
Accepted Event Host Happy Hour
We invite all accepted event hosts to get together and share information about the next steps.
Jan 22:
Atlanta Science Festival Schedule Release / Paid Event Ticket Release
The Atlanta Science Festival Schedule goes LIVE on January 22. This means marketing efforts begin and large scale / paid event tickets get released.
Feb 23:
Free Event Ticket Release
If your event is designed to serve 40 or fewer and is free/low cost, we’ll open registration two weeks before the Festival so people are more committed to attending.
March 7:
Atlanta Science Festival Begins
March 21:
Exploration Expo

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Event Planning

Event Types

Each year, the Atlanta Science Festival offers a wide variety of events in different formats that are designed to attract audiences of different ages and interests, as well as bring in new audiences who do not usually attend science related events. ASF Partners are invited to propose event ideas that meet these goals. We encourage you to think outside the box and experiment with a new concept. We’re scientists after all! Some event types you may consider include…

THE SCIENCE BEHIND…:

In previous years we’ve learned about the science behind Cheese, Recycling, Wine, Trees, Breadmaking and so much more. There’s science in everything and so many interactive ways to explore it. Bonus points if you explore the science behind something unique to Atlanta!

FAMILY SCIENCE:

Family fun with science! What could be better than making liquid nitrogen ice cream with your 6-year-old or building a rocket with your preteen? Parents eat up these fun activities they can do with their kids. Everyone learns and walks away having had fun!

DISCOVERY DIALOGUES & SCIENCE CAFES:

These are more traditional formats that put scientists on a stage (bars count as stages!) to talk about their research. The key is the scientist must be engaging! Swap long powerpoints for hands-on elements and discussions! Science cafes typically feature a single scientist. ASF Discovery Dialogues, on the other hand, explore a single topic from different perspectives – the more interdisciplinary, the better. Get an evolutionary biologist on stage with a priest and an artist, and who knows what will happen! These events should be in the evenings or weekends, and preferably in off-campus locations.

ARTS EVENTS:

One of the strategies we employ to make science more accessible at Science ATL is to highlight the way science is connected to other disciplines. And the arts provide a brilliant lens through which we can see these connections. So, find a scientist who isn’t afraid to jam on stage and pair them with a beat-boxer and you just might have the most highly attended event out there.

OUTDOOR SCIENCE:

With gorgeous springtime weather during ASF, it’s the perfect time to explore the science happening outside. We’ve had tree identification walks, squirrel counting challenges, creek water quality testing and so much more. Get creative with what nature has to offer!

STUDENT PROGRAMS:

Typically, we encourage events to happen outside of school hours. But sometimes an idea is too good and it can only be done during the weekday. This could be a perfect opportunity to advertise for a field trip or to home-schoolers. Keep in mind that while we encourage you to invite specific groups to your events, all events must be open to the public. Events can not be limited to only certain invited groups.

FUTURE LEADERS:

Let’s build up our local STEM workforce by showing young people how many careers involve science and how they can get involved. We want to do our part to develop our local workforce and help our economy!

Event Guidelines

Follow these guidelines to help make your event as successful as possible!

Event logistics and costs are provided entirely by the Program Partner. Science ATL will occasionally offer grants to support innovative event ideas. Ask us if your idea might be eligible.
Event must take place on the days between the Launch event and the Expo. No events can be scheduled before the launch event and no events are permitted on Expo day.
Partner will promote their own event, including linking to event details on the ASF website.
Events must occur at an accessible location (keep transit, time of day and parking in mind as you plan. See FAQs).
The event may be free (or free with admission) or ticketed to cover production costs only. ASF generally does not support events that are fundraisers for other causes.
The event must be co-branded with materials provided by ASF (see FAQs).
All events should include a local scientist or professional who uses STEM in their career.
ASF may be able to provide volunteers and scientists to help onsite at your event.
Inspire CURIOSITY and take risks! Events should be fun, clever, interactive, experiential, and meaningful, sparking a sense of awe and wonder in our world!

Submit your event proposal at atlscifest.org/propose

What does ASF provide?

We support our awesome partners with the following…

Audience: Through our broader ASF marketing, we’ll help connect you to new audiences.

Social Following: You’ll have access to ASF’s growing social media following through general festival promotion, as well as opportunities to participate in specific social media campaigns leading up to the Festival and year-round.

Partner Toolkit: Once notified of your event acceptance, be on the lookout for our toolkit which will provide you with social graphics, pre-crafted social language, logos, sample images, and more.

ASF Calendar Listing: On our website.

Online registration platform for free & ticketed events

ASF Promotional Materials

Signage for your event

Photography at select events

Volunteers: We’ll have folks on hand to help with logistics and ASF branding at your event.

Expert Scientists: Need a connection to the science community? We’ve got you covered!

How we promote your event/institution

Media Mentions

Not only may we promote your event in the many media hits we get, we may invite you to join us on television or radio to talk about your event and your organization. Many partners have appeared with us on WSB radio, GPB, Peachtree TV, Good Day Atlanta, and more!

Platform: Television, radio and print media.

Social Posts

Once the schedule of events is released, we devote our social posts to promoting your events. We’ve even been fortunate enough to work with GSU motion design students to create quick animated videos promoting specific events. These posts get a lot of attention from our tens of thousands of followers.

Platform: All social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)

So You Want to Learn About…

In late January, we’ll compile thematic in-depth highlights of events through blog posts. Some of past years’ themes included nerdy humor and the science of sports.

Platform: Blog post promoted on all social channels.

FAQ

How do I submit a proposal?

Hop on our website and fill out the proposal form. If you are submitting for both Expo and Events, these are two separate portals reviewed by separate committees, so you will need to enter the information in each portal. For events, you won’t have to have all your details finalized when you fill out the form; you will just need to know your idea and show us that you have the resources/partnerships in place to be able to execute it.

What if we don’t want to be responsible for taking the lead on an event – can we still participate?

We encourage organizations to work together to plan events. The more collaboration, the better! We would be happy to recommend partners with whom you might share responsibility.

Can we host multiple events?

Yes! We host around 100-150 events annually as part of the Festival. Keeping it to this number allows us to better support all ASF events (provide materials, volunteers, resources) and create a more cohesive collection of successful events. If you have more than one great idea and have the resources to make it successful, we welcome your proposals. If you have any questions, feel free to discuss with us before submitting.

What are your selection criteria?

In accepting event proposals, our choices will be guided in order to ensure a healthy mix of different event types (artsy, lecture-y, food based, facility tours, nature-y, etc.), different science topics covered, different audiences reached, and location within the metro region. Importantly, we are striving to reach underserved audiences, so events with intentional strategies to broaden access to science education and resources will receive strong consideration. We also get super excited about events that are outside the box and creative!

Are there any guidelines for event types to avoid?

We ask that all ASF events be open to the public. So please don’t submit any ideas that are designed only for specific field trip groups or selected individuals, if others can’t join in as well. You may invite whichever groups you like, but we want doors to be open to everyone. You can certainly target specific age groups or audience types (teachers, women, etc), but please be open to any interested party attending. Further, we always caution our partners to think about audience when considering K12 students as presenters in their events. Will the event attract an audience beyond the friends/family of the student? Could the student presenters be placed in the context of a larger program that incorporates scientists as well?

Can I have an event that repeats multiple times during the week?

Certainly! If you think you have the ability to reach a strong audience base with each repeat of your program, then feel free to propose a repeating event. Before you get too far planning, please talk this over with us. We have found that with certain event types, sometimes less is more.

I hosted a free event last year and there were a lot of no-shows. How can we stop this from happening again?

This is a problem that continues to plague us – and gets worse as we get more popular. We have a few ideas to help alleviate this issue. 1) Consider charging a small fee. We find that the fee needs to be at least $5 – $10 to get people to follow through and show up. 2) Overbook your event. You can likely expect about 30% of registrants to show up. Consider releasing many more tickets than you have to account for the drop-outs. 3) Release tickets closer to the event date. Last year, we saw improvements to attrition rates by ticketing this way, so we will lean into this in 2026. For all events with paid ticketing, we’ll release tickets in late January. If your event is free, we’ll open registration two weeks before the Festival so people are more committed to attending.

What do you mean by co-branding?

We ask that you use the ASF logo when possible when mentioning ASF in marketing or press material you create for the event. All ASF logos will be available on our website and we will provide any further material you need to make this easy for your team. We will also recognize each partner in conjunction with their event.

Does ASF provide any funding?

It is our goal to support you as much as possible and we often try to raise money to provide financial support for events. Some years we are fortunate enough to offer a formal grant structure during the proposal process. Other years, we don’t have as much funding, but please always feel free to ask. We’ll do what we can.

What do you mean by “accessible” location?

We want to be sure participants are easily able to locate events, therefore we request that events be accessible to the public. Ideally, they may be reached by public transportation or have available (and FREE) parking, or perhaps are hosted online. When possible, we suggest non-academic venues to welcome attendees who do not usually attend science events. In addition, we want to ensure all participants have access to attend ASF events; therefore we request that venues be ADA compliant. Please also keep time of day in mind for accessibility. An in-person event placed on a Tuesday at 4pm is not likely to bring many people in, even though it may be a convenient time for the presenters. Be sure to think about balancing desired audience, travel time/traffic, meal times and children’s bedtimes.

Need help finding a venue? Email Leslie and she can help recommend spaces based on what your event entails.

Why do you suggest that a local scientist or STEM professional be present?

Previous science festival evaluations have shown the experience of participants who interacted with a STEM practitioner was enhanced greatly. In many cases, attendees are interacting with a STEM practitioner asking questions or engaging in hands-on activities for the first time. In addition, there is benefit to the STEM professional. Evaluations report that 75% of STEM professionals who exhibited and presented at the festivals reported increased confidence interacting with public audiences.

Can I host an online event?

Yes! Like the rest of the world, COVID changed how we do everything. There’s no substitution for in-person events, but depending on topic and desired audience, virtual events can work better. If you are considering, chat with us.

Can we repeat an event we’ve done in the past?

As scientists, we love experimenting, and that includes experimentation with public science events. We encourage you to think creatively and try something new. That said, we know there were some amazing programs in the past that we (and Atlanta residents!) would love to see return. We also know that sometimes you need another go-around in order to make the tweaks that will get you to an awesome program. So, if you want to try something you’ve already done before in order to improve it for this year, go ahead and submit – just be sure to tell us what you plan to do differently to make it a better event. Another idea is to consider placing the event in a different part of town. We’re here to talk through ideas with you, so feel free to reach out!

If I have an event during the weeks leading up to the Expo, do I still need to submit a proposal for an Expo booth if I want to do that too?

Yes, please! Different committees review the two types of applications and we ask for different information. Submit a proposal for the expo!

Questions about your Event Proposal?

Contact Leslie Townsell at [email protected].

NOTE: The application process for an Expo booth is separate. Submit an application for the Expo.

Hosting an Event for the 2026 Atlanta Science Festival!

Saturday, March 7 – Saturday, March 21

New to ASF?

Are You a Returning Partner?

Atlanta Science Festival Event Partner Guide

Benefits of Participation

Partner Roles and Responsibilities

Timeline

Sept 4:

Sept 12:

Oct 6:

Oct 17:

Nov 7:

Dec 5:

Dec 9:

Jan 22:

Feb 23:

March 7:

March 21: