Space Week Festival: Day 1

$24 Adults, $19 Youth/Seniors/Students, Members get 50% OFF

Designed for space enthusiasts, adults, and explorers ages 5–12 with an adult caregiver. All ages and abilities welcome. 

Hold real rocket parts! Test a Rover! Hear from Space Experts and NASA!

This festival weekend is a chance to engage your curiosity, connect with Bay Area scientists, explore your place in the future of space, and of course dance it out in our courtyard after lunch. Chabot is Oakland’s place for space, community and connection – with each other and the universe.  

Chat with NASA experts, Bay Area aerospace pros, and leaders on the space tech frontier to learn about cutting-edge prototypes, real artifacts, and tech that’s catapulting us into the future. 

Timed Activities

Discover Satellites with Magnitude IO | 10AM-4PM – Observation Deck
Could you fit a satellite in a soda can? Explore the world around you August 2nd and 3rd when we explore the world around us with CanSat – the precursor to the modern small satellite!

Rocket Launches | Launch times: 11AM–4:00PM, Break from 12:30-1:30PM – Amphitheater
Build and launch your own paper rocket!

Astronaut Training | 11AM–3:30PM – Lab 1
Test your skills with agility, teamwork, and Moonwalking challenges. 

DJ B1 Dance Party | 11AM-3PM – Courtyard
Dance to cosmic beats from DJ B1! 

LifeQuest Nature Walks | 11:30AM–12:30PM & 3-4PM – Meet in Classroom 1
Join Chabot educators on a short outdoor walk to explore what defines “life” — on Earth and beyond. 

Solar S’mores with Berkeley Astronomy | 12-5PM – Observation Deck
Make s’mores using solar power! 

Tinker with Prototypes and Gadgets for Life in Space | 1-5PM
Join author and guest speaker Samuel Coniglio at this fun and interactive booth featuring prototypes & gadgets for comfortable living in space! 

Glitter Tattoos and Face Painting with Happycake  | 2-4PM – Observation Deck
Shiny, shimmery space tattoos await! Let your imagination run wild. 

Space Trivia with Berkeley Astronomy | 2:30PM – Classroom 2
Test your knowledge and win stellar prizes! 

Ongoing Experiences

NASA Interns Astrobiology Project | Mezzanine & Lab 2
Step into the shoes of future Mars scientists with hands-on booths by NASA interns. Investigate microbial mysteries, tackle astronaut stress, and explore real Mars mission science! 

Build Your Own Rover | Roverscape
Design, test, and drive your rover across Martian terrain! 

Community Drawing: Windows to Tomorrow | Skybridge
Imagine you’re on another planet. What do you see? Add your vision to our collaborative mural. 

Galaxy Photo Booth | Studio 2
Pose with cosmic props & tag @chabotspace! 

Habitat Building | Studio 3
Build your dream home on another planet as part of this tinkering activity 

Asteroids, Astronaut Photos and Stickers with the B612 Foundation | Studio 3
Discover the wonders of space at our table! Learn about asteroids, grab fun stickers, touch a real meteorite, and snap photos with astronauts and asteroids.

Theater Talks

Ingenuity and the Future of Mars Rotorcraft with NASA Engineer Allen Ruan | 11:30AM
Ingenuity made history as the first helicopter to fly on another planet and it didn’t stop there. Originally slated for just 5 flights, it soared over 70 times! Join NASA Aerospace Engineer Allen Ruan as he shares the triumphs, challenges, and what’s next for rotorcraft on Mars.
Allen Ruan works on flight dynamics at NASA Ames. A UC Berkeley grad with degrees in mechanical engineering, he enjoys gaming and tinkering with gizmos in his free time. 

Weightlessness in Space: Perspectives of Earth from a Suborbital Space Flight with Space Traveler Ron Rosano | 1:30PM
What’s it like to float in space and see Earth from above? Hear firsthand from Ron Rosano, who flew on Virgin Galactic in 2023 and became the 668th human in space. A lively Q&A will follow!
Ron Rosano has led space outreach since 1995, working with 240+ schools in 20 countries. He is a NASA Solar System Ambassador. 

Dragonfly – NASA’s Mission to Land on Titan, the Largest Moon of Saturn with Dr. Morgan Burks | 3:30PM
NASA’s Dragonfly is flying to Titan — Saturn’s largest and strangest moon. This futuristic rotorcraft will hop across the surface, studying methane lakes, icy volcanoes, and potential clues to life’s origins. Dr. Morgan Burks is helping build one of Dragonfly’s key instruments: a gamma-ray spectrometer that will decode Titan’s surface like a cosmic barcode.
Dr. Burks is a physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Lab and enjoys Argentine tango and rock climbing. 

Schedule and Locations subject to change

View Sunday’s schedule here.

Chabot Members get 50% off Space Week Festival tickets

Join today to take advantage of this out-of-this-world benefit and so many more!