Outdoor Displays & Activities

The North Carolina Science Festival and Planet Earth Celebration are joining in on the fun! Jones Street, Salisbury Street, and the Bicentennial Plaza will be filled with booths with science displays, recycled art, and tips about how you can live sustainably.

In addition to two stages of entertainment, you won’t want to miss:

The Burt’s Bees Tent Sale

Celebrating Planet Earth with savings of up to 80% off lip balms, lotions, salves & suds. Located outside the Museum of Natural Sciences’ front steps.

View the sky

Raleigh Astronomy Club will have telescopes available to view the sky — at night and during the day!

Make your own recycled art

You can make a musical instrument at the scrap exchange table, or an outfit with Redo Reuse.

Chalk the street

Local artist Paul Dumlao will be creating a giant underwater scene on the sidewalk using chalk. The colorful composition will feature some of the new Nature Research Center's collection, and will include Bonnethead Sharks, stingrays, a Right Whale, the invasive lionfish, and more colorful critters. Chalk will be available so you can add to the art, too!

Learn about Critical Careers

The NC Community College Mobile Launch Pad bus will be on site with scientific demonstrations, unique activities, games, and experiments that will introduce you to exciting career opportunities in North Carolina.

Learn about alternative transportation

See electric cars, discover your local bus route and learn about other ways to save gas while getting around town.

Eat delicious food

In addition to the Acro Café on the Museum of Natural Sciences’ 4th floor, and Pharaoh’s located in the Museum of History, visit the new Daily Planet Café located at the corner of Jones and McDowell. You can also visit food trucks and vendors including American Meltdown, Angies Italian Ice (Saturday only), Baguettaboutit (Friday only), Café Prost, Captain Ponchos Tacos, Caribou Coffee, Chick-N-Que, D&J Concessions, Groovy Dogs, Hibachi Express, Kona Chameleon Coffee, Kona Ice, Krispy Kreme (Friday only), Locopops, and Parlez-Vous Crepe.

Exhibitors include:

24-hour exhibitors

Central Coastal NC Marine Mammal Stranding Network, CompostNow, Conservator’s Center, Environmental Educators of NC, Environmental Wheel of Knowledge, Fiberactive Organics, Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, IMAX Theatre at Marbles, Mobile Launch Pad Community College Bus, NC Composting Council, NC Division of Marine Fisheries, NC First Robotics, NC State Parks, Piedmont Wildlife Center, The HERP Project, Triangle Green Cleaning.

Friday 4pm–11pm exhibitors

Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists, Carolina Tiger Rescue, Duke University, Eartheal, EPA, National Institute of Environmental Health Services, NC International Science Challenge, NC School of Science and Math, Rho Tau Chapter of Graduate Women in Science, Sixth Sun, Triangle J Council of Governments, UNC.

Friday 4pm–11pm and Saturday 8am–5pm

Burts Bees, CAT / Triangle Transit, City of Raleigh, Mad Science Kidz, NC Green Power, NC Interfaith Power & Light, NC Science Festival, NCSU, Raleigh Aquatic Turtle Adoption, Redo Reuse, Save the Frogs, Sierra Club, Sugar Magnolia, Triangle 350.org, Wake Audubon / Audubon NC / NC Birding Trail.

Saturday 8am–5pm exhibitors

Be Green & Organicality, Cause for Paws of NC, Coastal K-9 Bakery, Cure Nursery, Division of Water Quality, EarthShare North Carolina, Entomology Graduate Student Association, Extension Master Gardeners of Wake County, Funky Fibers & Accessories, Go Triangle / Triangle Transit, GROW Chapter of the NC Wildlife Federation, Jinja Fair Trade, Keep NC Beautiful , Museum of Life and Science, NC Conservation Network, NC Entomological Society, NC Forest Service, NC Herpetological Society / NCPARC, Pine Forest & Gethsemane Memorial Gardens, Progress Energy, Recreated Glass, Red Hen Enterprises, Redress Raleigh, SheekGeek, Southern Energy Management, State Climate Office of NC, The Conservation Fund, Triangle Air Awareness, Triangle Greenways Council, Triangle Potters Guild, WakeUP Wake County, YES! Solar Solutions.