NIU will transform Spooky Science Saturday into mega-science festival at Convocation Center

Shout out to Northern Illinois University and their Satellite event. Read about it here.

Two years ago, NIU's popular Haunted Physics Laboratory was supersized into Spooky Science Saturday. Now the event, which uses Halloween themes to teach young people about the wonders of science, is about to get exponentially bigger.spooky cauldron

NIU is gearing up to hold its first Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, at the NIU Convocation Center.

Open to the public, STEMfest 2010 will feature spooky science demonstrations from years past -- and much more. Event organizers expect the hands-on activities for children and mind-blowing exhibits to attract more than 5,000 people.

"This has been such a popular event that we're expanding considerably, which is why we've moved to the spacious NIU Convocation Center," says Pati Sievert, NIU's coordinator for STEM Outreach.

"We'll have more than 100 hands-on activities, and people will be free to move around in a carnival- or festival-like atmosphere," Sievert says. "We've duplicated some of the more popular exhibits, and the Convocation Center's concession area will be open so families can take a break, get a bite to eat and relax."