The Deets: iMAGINE Upstate STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) Festival celebrates innovation and transforms Main St into the world of robots, drones, 3D printers, explosive science experiments + more.
⏰: Saturday, April 7, 2018 | 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
💰: Free
📍: West End of Greenville, from S Main at the intersection of Augusta St to Fluor Field
👋: 75+ STEAM organizations offering hands-on activities and live demos
#MustSees:
🎵: Science of Sound, featuring musical performances by Upstate students at Michelin MAKE Stage
🕹: High-speed drone racing at Fluor Field
🤖: Roper Mountain Science Center’s STEM Wars: Science Strikes Back Show at Fluor Field
🐘: ScanSource STEAMFARI in partnership with the Greenville Zoo in the stadium concourse
🍔: Food trucks (Kona Ice, One Love Fusion Foods, Chuck Truck + Robinos Food Truck)
Visitor’s Guide:
🗺: from North: exit I-85S to I-385 towards downtown GVL (exit 51), I-385N becomes North St, turn left onto Church St + right onto University Ridge | from South: exit I-85N to I-185 towards downtown GVL (exit 42), I-185 becomes Mills Ave, turn left onto Augusta St + right onto Harris St
🚗: Free parking in the County Square lot (a ~10 min. walk to the festival), paid parking at Greenville High School (1 Vardry St) + public garages
🚌: The trolley runs from County Square to Markley St (right by Fluor Field), and all Greenlink bus routes going to the facility on McBee will be free on April 7 (take the trolley or stroll down Main to the festival)
📱: iMAGINE Upstate’s new interactive site map has all you need to navigate the festival like a pro.
P.S. iMAGINE Upstate is a rain or shine event. Tents and covered exhibits in the stadium will stay dry even if we get some April showers.
The Story: iMAGINE Upstate wants Pre K-12 students to be ready for their future careers – and to know what kind of high-tech jobs are out there. That’s where STEAM comes in: you can’t know that you want to be a programmer if you’ve never heard of it (or have never seen a robot in action). 🤖
Watching a homemade volcano bubble up pretty much makes us all feel like scientists, which is why hands-on exhibits help families + their kids grow an interest in new fields and lifelong learning.
How? By bringing the next generation and the current industry leaders face-to-face. Schools, businesses, and nonprofits have the opportunity to showcase what they do, and you have all day to explore.
If you feel like you can’t keep up with the job market, iMAGINE Upstate adapts every year to reflect what you need to know. Here’s what’s new this year.
And here are the numbers on iMAGINE Upstate’s 4-year history:
- The first festival in 2015 drew a crowd of ~14,000 to downtown
- iMAGINE started with 62 STEAM experiences (this year there will be 76)
- Upwards of 15,000 are expected to attend the one-day festival this year!
If you love what the festival’s doing, the Upstate SC STEM Collaborative, the organization behind the iMAGINE Upstate STEAM Festival, is a key recipient of the BMW Charity Pro-Am on May 14 – 20. Visit the Upstate SC STEM Collaborative tent at Fluor Field to practice your golf putt with BMW Charity Pro-Am and learn more about how you can get involved! Select Upstate SC STEM Collaborative when you volunteer, donate or purchase tickets to benefit this great organization!
