Upcoming Community Events: KIDfest & World of Montgomery Festival

Interactive activities and hands-on family fun abound at KIDfest on Sunday,
September 24 th , 12:00-5:00pm at the Silver Spring Civic Building. Admission and activities are
free to the public. KIDfest (previously Maker Faire Silver Spring), is KID Museum’s signature
community event. A dynamic celebration of creativity and innovation, the festival attracts
15,000 attendees each year.

KIDfest is part of KID Museum’s ongoing effort to expose children and adults alike to the power
of hands-on maker learning, and inspire them to find their own “spark.” People of all ages can
experience hands-on electronics, art, engineering, science, and crafts activities–along with
awe-inspiring demos, engaging “KIDtalks,” and two stages of live musical performances and
entertainment.

Almost all exhibitors offer a free activity for adults or children to test out, build themselves, or
play with. Just a few examples of activities include:

● Create a custom 3D foam robot face using heat, 3D shapes, and vacuum mask maker
● Felt art making: create your own piece of felt using bits of wool, soapy water, and a
sandwich bag
● Check out NASA’s Space Operations Learning Center, Space Age Gizmos for Promising
Engineers, Understanding Optics, and Space Photo Booth
● Build an autonomous robot using electronic circuits, structures, soldering, and coding
● Construct a hydroponic gardening system out of PVC pipes with pre-drilled holes and a
solar-powered submersible water pump, or try seed extraction
● Play with magnets, eddy currents, homopolar motors, and tesla coils at the Gravity Is
Optional booth
● Create electronic silhouette with an interactive light display that tracks motion
● 3D printing and robots of all kinds, as well as so much more!

KID Museum will feature a number of hands-on activities that reflect the types of programming
they offer throughout the year:

● Pipe Dream: a massive, sculptural ball and tube challenge
● Electric Pachinko and a Giant ‘Operation’ Game
● Coding Corner: fun and interactive coding language education and games
● Hands-on Gears and Pulley challenges
● An exhibit of inventions by Young Makers who’ve participated in KID Museum programs
The festival will also feature a series of KIDtalks (similar to TED talks) by local inventors,
professional makers, and industry experts. A sampling of the talks include:
● Digital Fabrication and Art, Davide Prete , Artist and Director of CUA Digital Fabrication
Lab, “The 3D Printed American Flag Project”
● Future of Work, Paul Roehrig , Chief Strategy Officer, Cognizant Digital Business and
co-author of “What To Do When Machines Do Everything”
● Think Global, Act Local, Kate Medina, Co-Founder of the Charles Koiner Center for
Urban Farming Education (CKC Farming)
● Assistive Technology and Making, Bill Binko, Co-founder and principal technologist at
LessonPix.com
● Entrepreneurship and Creativity, Sterling Crockett, Visionary CEO
● Digital Media/Data Mapping, Katherine Vargas, Media Partnerships and Public Affairs,
Google

KIDfest is free and open to the public. The event is accessible by the Silver Spring Metro station.
Free parking is available in the nearby Town Center and Wayne Avenue garages. For more
information, visit www.kidfest.org.

World of Montgomery Festival 

The World of Montgomery Festival celebrates and showcases the rich cultural heritages of Montgomery County and the Washington, D.C. area. The festival will be held Sunday, Oct. 15, at Montgomery College’s Rockville Campus, 51 Mannakee Street in Rockville, from noon to 4 p.m.

MCPS is proud to be a partner in this year’s festival. The free event includes an international village, a global kitchen with chef demonstrations of traditional ethnic food, a craft market, a Parade of Cultures, two performance stages of traditional dance and music, connections through service, traditional arts, and fun interactive activities for the whole family. For more information, visit www.worldofmontgomery.com.