Arts and culture

Coinciding with National Science and Engineering Week, this ten day exploration of the city’s scientific ‘best bits’, celebrates the breadth, and often hidden depths, of science.

Now in its 12th year, the festival is also a chance to showcase York and North Yorkshire’s thriving science and technology base, which consolidates York’s position as a founding UK ‘Science City’.

Peering at a microscope

'Everything Changes' is the central theme of a packed programme of special events and activities and was chosen to support and fit with Darwin200, celebrating Charles Darwin's discoveries and the International Year of Astronomy, both happening in 2009.

All the events are open to the public and are free to attend unless otherwise stated. 

Festival highlights

Here's a quick guide to some of the events in this year's York Festival of Science and Technology. For information on these events and the hundreds of others visit the festival website. NB Some events require pre-registration. These are indicated by *. Please remember to book early to avoid disappointment as places will be limited.

6 – 15 March
• Fingerprints of Time Exhibition
• Garden Explorer Trail
• Natural History of the Abbey Exhibition
• Aliens! Exhibition
• More than... Just an Illusion

7 March
• Space Saturday!
• Night Sky over York (also on other dates - check programme)

7 & 10 March
• Yorkshire Air Museum, From Hen Hut to Halifax - suitable for adults

9 March
• Sound Bites: Food that Sound Better Taste Better - suitable for adults

10 March
• Stained Glass: The Ravages of Time - suitable for adults
• How the Zebra got its Stripes - suitable for adults and young people aged 14+

10, 11 & 18 March
• Bronze Age Science - suitable for adults *

11 March
• Moving Bodes Challenge Exhibition
• CERN: Frontiers, Gravediggers - suitable for adults

Visitors enjoy the festival

12 - 13 March
• Cosmic Questions - suitable for adults

14 March
• Discovery Days - Public Day
• Darwin's Garden - suitable for adults

15 March
• Lambing Sunday
• Tea and Stars - Festival Finale

Associated Events

21 March
• Dark Skies - Star Party at the Yorkshire Air Museum

4 - 19 April
• Darwin Discovery at the Yorkshire Museum
• Tea and Stars - Festival Finale

For more information on these and all the other events in the York Festival of Science and Technology, visit their website.