Illinois Valley Community College’s SciFest is returning on April 17th, offering an expanded hands-on experience for science lovers of all ages. The college gymnasium will be transformed with over 100 interactive stations, featuring crowd favorites such as a person inside a bubble, liquid nitrogen ice cream, and explosive center court demonstrations like a 55-gallon barrel imploding and a soda geyser. Attendees can try experiments themselves, from navigating an augmented reality sandbox to attempting the infamous bed of nails. Organizers promise fresh experiments and plenty of opportunities for families to learn and play side by side, making science both approachable and memorable.
“SciFest stands out as an immersive experience rather than a science show to watch,” said Dr. Matthew Johll, who advises the college Chem Club, the event’s host. “One of my students this year remembers participating in
SciFest engages the whole family. “Parents get to see their children’s excitement and the children see excitement in their parents,” Johll said.
Center court will feature dramatic spectacles, including an imploding barrel, a soda geyser, fire moving in rhythm with music, and the classic bed of nails challenge—inviting brave participants to give it a try. Each year, new experiments debut, and this time, an expanded bubble science show will be among the highlights.
New experiments enter the rotation each year as familiar ones are retired for a time. “Every year we challenge ourselves to add more and our students are challenged to find new ways to reach the audience,” Johll said.
SciFest may be an audience’s introduction to science, but the college students also get to see it from a new angle as theories from their textbooks and labs come to life. “It gives them a direct connection and they see science in action. By doing a demonstration to illustrate the topics they discussed in class, they learn how to interact and communicate with an audience of varying ages. That is a learned skill and a valuable opportunity they would not get otherwise,” Johll said.