Maryland STEM Festival

Little Learners: STEAM, Play, & Learn: Velocity (3-5 years with adult)
2025-11-03 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Savage Branch Library, 9525 Durness Lane, Laurel, MD, 20723, United States
Ages 3-5 with adult; 45 min. Ticket required.
Playful learning and exploration of STEAM concepts through stories, movement, and hands-on activities.
This class is part of the 2025 Maryland STEM Festival. Click here for the full schedule of classes and events for all ages.

MD STEM Fest Reading Challenge
2025-11-03 09:00 - 23:30, 2025-11-02 09:00 - 23:30 | Online
Discover the fun of STEM through stories and hands-on challenges! Complete STEM-themed activities and read books to fill your bingo board.

Pumpkin Watch Begins!
2025-11-03 09:00 - 20:00 | Queen Anne’s County Library, 121 S Commerce St, Centreville, MD, 21617, United States
Halloween’s over, but this jack-o’-lantern will be a long-time library resident. Watch it decompose over the next few months, and eventually grow more pumpkin seedlings!

AI IRL: Real Talk for Teens
2025-11-02 16:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-01 16:00 - 17:00 | Quince Orchard Library, 15831 Quince Orchard Road, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, United States
AI IRL: Real Talk for Teens is a four-session discussion series built around real AI headlines. Each session starts with a short news story, separates fact from myth, introduces one practical skill to try, and opens the floor for conversation guided by teens’ questions.
Participants build practical, responsible AI habits: verifying claims and sources, recognizing bias and misinformation, writing task-appropriate prompts, crediting AI assistance when required, and protecting privacy online. The final session includes a look at AI’s environmental impact, tying into this year’s Maryland STEM Festival theme of ENERGY.
Each session stands alone, so participants can attend any or all and leave with something they can use right away for schoolwork, early work experiences and resumes, creative projects, or daily life. Phones and laptops are welcome, and snacks are provided.
Event runs from 10/22 through 11/12

Author Panel: The Art and Science of Conservation-event held at Ebenezer Theater
2025-11-02 14:00 - 16:00 | Ebenezer Theater, 17 S. Washington Street, Easton, MD, 21601, United States
n celebration of the tandem centennial birthdays of the Talbot County Free Library and University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, legendary Chesapeake Bay journalist Tom Horton will moderate a panel exploring the art and science of conservation with Creature Needs contributors and award-winning authors Christopher Kondrich and Kyoko Mori. Tickets are free; registration is required.

Power Up with Choptank Electric Cooperative
2025-11-02 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-11-01 10:00 - 17:00 | Wicomico Public Library-Paul S Sarbanes Branch, 122 South Division Street, Salisbury, MD, 21801, United States
Celebrate the Maryland STEM Festival with Wicomico Public Library and Choptank Electric Cooperative! Throughout the month, children of all ages are invited to explore the exciting world of electricity through fun, self-guided activities. Discover how energy is generated, how it travels to your home, and why it matters. Stop by anytime during open hours to learn, play, and get inspired by the power of STEM!

KID Museum Open Explore
2025-11-02 10:00 - 16:00 | Kid Museum, 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Bethesda, MD, 20814-5329, United States
During Open Explore, there are many activities for families to enjoy. We encourage families to participate together in order to foster creativity, curiosity, and collaboration.
Here are some of the Museum’s activity areas:
Maker Playground: Open ended, self-guided and exploratory interactives
Central Makerspace: Big Build, Tech Arena, Materials Bar, and Mini Makers
Maker Studios: Electronics, Textiles, Cardboard, Woodshop, Tech Lab (coding/robotics)

Howard Astronomical Legue Public Star Party
2025-11-01 18:00 - 23:00 | Alpha Ridge Community Park, 11685 Old Frederick Road, Marriotsville, MD, 21104, United States
Join members of the Howard Astronomical League (HAL) at our final monthly public star party of 2025. Enjoy views of the waxing gibbous moon, Saturn, and more through the HAL’s Illig scope in our observatory and members’ scopes set up around the viewing plaza. Activity tables for all ages. Dress warmly.

STEM Explorers - Egg Drop Engineering Challenge
2025-11-01 15:30 - 16:30 | Quince Orchard, 15831 Quince Orchard Road, Gaithersburg, 20878, United States
Egg Drop Engineering Challenge with Science Connections! Can you protect your important cargo? Space is limited, registration required. Ages 6-12.
Calling all future NASA engineers! Join Science Connections to test out your design and construction skills. Learn how NASA engineers landed the most recent rover, Perseverance, on Mars in February 2021. Apply some of the same techniques they used to plan, build, and test out your very own creation. Can you complete the challenge: to protect your raw egg cargo from a 10 foot drop!!
Registration required. Register online or call 240-773-9550 beginning 3 weeks before the event. For children ages 6 – 12. Generously sponsored by Friends of the Library, Montgomery County, MD, Inc.

Robot Pumpkin Smash
2025-11-01 15:00 - 16:30 | Eldersburg Public Library, 6400 West Hemlock Drive, Eldersburg, MD, 21784, United States
Join the Robo-Lions, a team of students, as they fire up their robots for Robot Pumpkin Smash! Find out how long it takes a robot to crack open a pumpkin. This program is a collaboration between PIE3 (Partnership in Inspiration for Engineering Education and Entrepreneurship), Robo-Lions, and Carroll County Public Library.

Pumpkin Smash at Eldersburg Public Library
2025-11-01 14:30 - 15:30 | Eldersburg Public Library, 6400 West Hemlock Drive, Eldersburg, MD, 21784, United States
FRC Team 2199 “Robo-Lions” present their Pumpkin Smashing Robot

Adobe Illustrator Skill Builder: Tools & Shortcuts
2025-11-01 14:00 - 16:00 | Westminster Branch, 50 East Main Street, Westminster, MD, 21157, United States
Boost your speed and confidence in Adobe Illustrator with this hands-on class focused on essential tools and time-saving shortcuts. Gain a solid understanding of Illustrator features and keyboard shortcuts to help you create vector designs more efficiently. This class is ideal for those looking to streamline the design process for makerspace projects. Attendees should have a basic understanding of Illustrator and some experience creating independent projects.

The Humane Society Presents: Talkin' Turkey
2025-11-01 14:00 - 15:00 | Charles County Public Library, 10405 O'Donnell Place, Waldorf, MD, 20603, United States
There’s nothing fowl about these birds! Come learn life cycle, behavior and special characteristics of wild and domesticated turkeys. Participants will also be able to listen to a children’s turkey story, and even touch a Tom turkey! Participants will be able to learn the history and present of this amazing American bird.
Through real-life examples and hands-on demonstrations, you’ll be able to better understand and appreciate these exceptional birds and the role they play as both livestock and in the local ecosystem.
Registration is required. Recommended for ages 4 and up.
If you have questions, please contact the Potomac Branch at 301-375-7375 or email potomacref@ccplonline.org.

Family STEAM Lab Drop In
2025-11-01 14:00 - 14:30 | Thurmont Library, 76 East Moser Rd, Thurmont, MD, 21788, United States
Drop in for a hands-on STEM Lab or STEAM Lab opportunity. This program is designed for children in grades K-5 and their caregiver.

MY Tech: Free help with technology
2025-11-01 13:30 - 16:30 | Talbot County Free Library, Easton Branch, 100 W. Dover St, Easton, MD, 21601, United States
Free help with technology, ranging from, but not limited to, laptops, cell phones, setting up accounts, and Mac

AquaBall League Wavebreakers
2025-11-01 13:00 - 17:00 | M.A.P. Technologies, 322 W. Baltimore st., Baltimore, MD, 21201, United States
AquaBall League – Wavebreakers cup is the first esports event of its kind where kids do some STEM learning to unlock abilities to use in the new esports game title AquaBall League.
ABL is a 2 vs 2 local co- op couch playing video game that’s played on Gaming PCs and consoles. Kids will be organized in teams of 3 to see who’s get the or 2 of 3 game series. They will also get to meet the game developers and network to learn more about designing and building and making money in the video gaming and esports industry

Frederick STEM Carnival at Carroll Creek
2025-11-01 13:00 - 16:00 | Carroll Creek Park, Frederick, 21701
The First Frederick STEM Carnival will occur on November 2nd at Carroll Creek from 1 to 4PM. The event builds on previous successes and offers a unique opportunity for Frederick residents to engage in STEM-related activities. This event is being held with the Frederick Children’s Business Fair. Click here for details

STEM Fun: Math Explorers
2025-11-01 13:00 - 14:00 | Surratts–Clinton Branch Library, 9400 Piscataway Road, Clinton, 20735, United States
This program is for students in grades 1 through 6, and will include a mix of interactive math games, logic challenges, and hands-on problem-solving stations designed to build number sense and boost math confidence in a fun, low-pressure setting

The Higgs Boson and the Quest for New Physics: A Journey into the Heart of Matter
2025-11-01 13:00 - 14:00 | Gaithersburg Library, 18330 Montgomery Village Ave., Gaithersburg, MD, 20879, United States
Join Dr. Suyog Shrestha, Assistant Professor of Physics at Washington College, as we explore what scientists are doing today to uncover new physics that may one day rewrite our understanding of the universe. Through his collaborative work at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, including the Nobel Prize–winning discovery of the Higgs boson, we are getting closer to answering fundamental questions about the universe. This discussion should enlighten and inspire the most curious.
No registration required.
About Dr. Suyog Shrestha
Dr. Suyog Shrestha is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Washington College (Chestertown, Maryland), where he leads the College’s involvement in the ATLAS experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. His research focuses on Higgs boson physics, searches for new particles beyond the Standard Model, and the application of machine learning in high-energy physics. Dr. Shrestha earned his B.A. from Grinnell College (2006), Ph.D. from Iowa State University (2014), and spent over seven years as a postdoctoral researcher at CERN before joining Washington College in 2022. In addition to his research, he is deeply committed to undergraduate mentorship and STEM outreach – locally in Maryland and internationally in Nepal.

Sustainable Suburbia with The REED Center
2025-11-01 13:00 - 14:00 | Middletown Branch Library, 31 East Green St, Middletown, MD, 21769, United States
Looking to update your yard and be a good steward of the environment? Join Ben Friton, Director of The REED Center for Ecosystem Reintegration, to learn simple and sustainable practices to make any outdoor space ecologically healing and thrive.

How the Yaocomaco Lived (5-10 years)
2025-11-01 11:30 - 12:30 | Savage Branch Library, 9525 Durness Lane, Laurel, MD, 20723, United States
Ages 5-10; 45 min. Registration required.
Celebrate National Native American Heritage Month! Learn about how Maryland’s native people lived before the colonists arrived. We will excavate like archaeologists to find ‘artifacts’ and use them to learn about the Yaocomaco tribe.
This is part of HCLS’ Native American Heritage Month series.
This class is part of the 2025 Maryland STEM Festival.

Robot Pumpkin Smash
2025-11-01 11:00 - 12:30 | North Carroll Library, 2255 Hanover Pike, Hampstead,, MD, 21704, United States

Kids Discover: Wild Turkeys STEM
2025-11-01 11:00 - 12:00 | Hagerstown Branch, 100 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown, MD, 21740, United States
Join us for Kids Discover/Little Explorers STEM as we learn all about wild turkeys on Saturday November 1st from 11am-12pm. Turkey Wildlife Trunk will be provided by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Storytime and instruction begin promptly at 11am, but the room is open to complete activities until 12pm. Registration required. Ages 3-10. Hope to see you there!

Science Saturday: Energy
2025-11-01 11:00 - 12:00 | Deale Library, 5940 Deale Churchton Rd, Deale, MD, 20751, United States
Explore and learn about Energy! Learn about the different types of energy, how they interact with our environment and communities, and more!
Bring your curiosity, we’ll supply the rest!

Pumpkin Smash at North Carroll Public Library
2025-11-01 10:30 - 12:30 | North Carroll Library, 2255 Hanover Pike, Hampstead,, MD, 21704, United States
FRC Team 2199 “Robo-Lions” demonstrate their Pumpkin Smashing Robots

HCC Annual STEAM Fest
2025-11-01 10:00 - 14:00 | Hagerstown Community College, 11400 Robinwood Drive ARCC, Hagerstown, MD, 21742, United States
Bring the whole family for a day filled with fun hands-on activities related to STEAM. Activities include the ever popular Egg Drop and Bottle Rocket Challenges, Arts, Pumpkins, Drones and more. Learn about our STEM programs from camps to career training to degree programs. Free Parking and Admission! Free Food!
