Science Rendezvous

Save the date for Science Rendezvous 2024! This year’s event will be Saturday, May 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. We can’t wait to have you join us for Manitoba’s largest hands-on science and engineering festival at the University of Manitoba, Fort Garry Campus.

Al Simmons smiling and looking into the camera with families around him.
Photo by Ata Hashemi

Interactive booths

  • Kids making bubbles with a bubble machine.

  • Are you looking for family-friendly science activities?

    Join us on Saturday, May 11th and enjoy over 60 interactive science booths!

    We have added over 20 booths since last year and have taken over more buildings across campus. We have several booth areas both indoors and outdoors. There is so much to explore with your family. Join us to create a memorable weekend.

  • Two kids looking at a volunteer explaining a topic.

  • Test your luck with Plinko, see glowing uranium glass, learn about birds, satellites, rockets and much more! Covering all areas of science, technology, engineering and math, you can wander wherever your curiosity takes you.

    Booths are hosted by the University's Faculties, Departments and student clubs as well as amazing outside organizations.

Live science shows

This year we are bringing back our popular Chemistry Show, Physics Show, Planetarium Shows and an exciting new show by the Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre!

  • Two scientists with lab coats showing chemistry experiments to a classroom full of kids.

  • Tickets

    The Chemistry Show, Physics Show, and all Planetarium Shows require tickets. Tickets will be released online 30 minutes before showtimes.

    More information including release times, ticket limits and conditions can be found on our Eventbrite page.

    Ticketholders must be at the show doors a minimum of 5 minutes before the show to ensure their seat. See further terms and conditions on Eventbrite.

  • A line of people outside the science complex.

  • Don’t have a ticket?

    No worries! The Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Show will be held outside and does not require a ticket. In the event of rain, the show will move indoors and tickets will be released online in advance.

A sneak peek

Take a look at what we have in store for you for Science Rendezvous 2024!

People sitting at The Quad at UM.

Welcome Ceremony

Location: The Quad
Showtime: TBD
No tickets are required.

The University of Manitoba would like to welcome you to this year’s Science Rendezvous with a short message from the Faculty of Science.

A light brown stone on white sand.

Sensory Friendly Quiet Space

Location: 204 Armes
Times: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Tickets: None required!

Science Rendezvous is a busy event that can be overwhelming. We have set aside a room where anyone needing a few minutes of quiet is welcome to sit and relax until they are ready to explore some more!

Kids and parents sitting on the ground at The Quad at UM.

Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Show

Location: The Quad
Showtimes: TBD
No tickets are required.

Hear about wildlife rehabilitation taking place right here in Manitoba from the Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. Just bring a blanket and find yourself a spot on the grass of the Quad.

A scientist with a lab coat showing a participant how to do a physics experiement.

Physics Show

Location: EITC E3-270
Showtimes: TBD
Tickets: Required

Experience the wonder of physics from a safe distance! Beds of nails, falling objects, liquid nitrogen and Tesla coils! You’ll never know what might appear next!

Scientist showing a chemistry experiment with a balloon.

Chemistry Show

Location: 200 Armes
Showtimes: TBD
Tickets: Required

Young and old will be captivated by the educational experiments safely performed by our chemists in residence.

Planetarium show.

Planetarium Show

Location: 394 University College
Showtimes: TBD
Tickets: Required

Don’t worry about staying up late to see the wonders of the night sky. Sit back and relax as you are led on a sky tour of some of the most popular constellations and sights in the sky. Please note that seating for the Lockhart Planetarium Theatre is extremely limited.

Planetarium show with people and volunteers present.

Sensory Friendly Planetarium Show


Location: 394 University College
Showtime: TBD
Tickets: Required

This is a special time in the planetarium set aside for those who may feel overwhelmed in a regular planetarium show. The planetarium will be quiet, the lights left on slightly, and the dome covered with a moving background of stars. Seating for the Lockhart Planetarium is extremely limited, and this show is by reservation only.

A kid looking at a microscope.

Cells to Ecosystems

Location: 211 Biological Science Building
Times: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
No tickets are required.

Explore all aspects of the biological sciences, from plants to animals, and everything in between! Try out the tools used by scientists in a real university lab! Microscopes, models and much more.

A kid and an adult looking at fossils behind a glass.

Cretaceous Menagerie

Location: 219 Wallace
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
No tickets are required.

Explore the landscape, dinosaurs and rocks, that made up our past at the Ed Leith Cretaceous Menagerie! See the choice specimens of the R.B. Ferguson Museum of Mineralogy in the hallway outside the Cretaceous Menagerie!

Participating faculties

Community organizations

Past highlights

Volunteers interacting with students astronomy booth at Science Rendezvous.
Photo by Kim Nicolasara
A chemist experimenting at Science Rendezvous.
Photo by Jenna Cherneski
Al Simmons performing rock and roll with an audience of kids at Science Rendezvous
Photo by Ata Hashemi
A kid goes through a bubble hoop at Science Rendezvous.
Photo by Ata Hashemi
Electric charge on a person's hair at science booths at Science Rendezvous.
Photo by Kim Nicolasara
A kid interacting with the Pepper robot at Science Rendezvous.
Photo by Kim Nicolasara
Two women performing a physic experiment at the Physics Show at Science Rendezvous.
Photo by Jenna Cherneski
A kid looking into a telescope with the help of a volunteer at Science Rendezvous
Photo by Ata Hashemi

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