Alexandria Hosts 9th Annual Spooky Mad Science Expo for Kids

Alexandria, Virginia—On Saturday October 19th, 2024, the Patrick Henry Recreation Center hosted the 9th Annual Spooky Mad Science Expo that brought together families, children, and a variety of organizations for a Halloween themed day of Innovation and Science. The successful event combined the spirit of Halloween with the captivating aspects of the S.T.E.A.M. education program. 

STEAM education is an approach to learning that focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. The goal is to combine these fields so that students can be creative and think critically to solve problems. The hope is to prepare students for a variety of careers while keeping up with rapid changes. 

The annual Halloween themed expo featured a variety of science experiments and activities and has become a popular Halloween family event over the years. According to Zohreh Khoshnamak, CEO of Chrysalis Development Group, the 2024 event was a huge success. “Once again, the weather was on our side. Even though the event moved to a new location this year, it brought together more families who are interested in the STEAM field than in previous years,” stated Khoshnamak.

The crowd included hundreds of future astronauts, scientists, and engineers, along with their families on the day of the expo that included science, games, prizes, demonstrations, and food trucks!

An exciting highlight of the event was the performances of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra Students. They demonstrated the science of sound waves by using innovative instruments. The students were all elementary school aged kids from John Adams and according to Zhoshnamak, “they were amazing.” Along with the sounds of the orchestra, there was a DJ spinning tunes to keep the event lively and added extra enjoyment to the day.

Other fun surprises included “spooky snacks and slimy smoothies” provided by Tropical Smoothie cafe. The Silver Diner provided a variety of different foods and showcased the “science behind cooking.”

There was an electric bus brought to the expo by DASH that demonstrated how technology is used to improve everyday lives along with a “Cool Car” provided by the Air Force. An inspiring talk was given by the sheriff’s department that emphasized how science is behind everything we look at. Steve,the Mixed Media Artist, Experimenter, and Storyteller showed the beautiful fusion of art and science.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office hosted tables at the expo that included a witch broom activity. “The highlight for me was to see how excited the children were when the witches broom flew as we demonstrated potential to kinetic energy,” stated USPTO Librarian, Spruce Fraser, who represents the Patent and Trademark Resource Center.  Along with the witch broom activity, USPTO volunteers handed out play-doh samples and Inventor Trading Cards.

The entire day was made possible by dozens of volunteers from various organizations.

The day wasn’t just about showcasing innovation; the event encouraged creative thinking and a fascination towards building a future. The excitement of Halloween combined with the S.T. E. A. M. Education activities made this event rewarding and  the many volunteers are already thinking about what next year will bring.