UNMC held its ever-successful Nebraska Science Festival throughout April, sponsoring dozens of events across the state to highlight the wonders of science.
“The 2026 Nebraska Science Festival was an incredible celebration of science this year — it was great to see so many new faces attending events for the first time, alongside returning participants,” said Kacie Baum, NE SciFest organizer and senior manager for events and community engagement with UNMC Strategic Communications.
“This year we also had a fantastic mix of exciting new events and beloved classics. My favorite part of the festival was seeing curiosity and excitement from people of all ages coming together to explore science.”
Here’s a look at the scenes from just a few of the featured events, as taken by Kiley Cruse, UNMC’s chief photographer.
For more photos, see this photo album on Flickr.
Owls and Old Fashioneds was held at Mercury in downtown Omaha on April 14, as volunteers from Fontenelle Forest brought three owls to show and shared owl facts with attendees while the bar offered old fashioned flights.
At left, Metro Community College Science Day was held April 11 at the South Omaha campus, featuring multiple rooms of science experiments and displays for kids of all ages. At right, The Durham Museum hosted Durham Science Day on April, with dozens of booths offering displays and hands-on activities to teach about science and the environment.
eCreamery in Dundee participated in the Nebraska Science Festival with a special event for kids ages 12 and under. First, attendees watched experiments using dry ice and learned about how ice cream can be shipped using dry ice. Then, each participant got to pick out their favorite flavor for a scoop to eat.
As part of the Nebraska Science Festival, Geoffrey Talmon, MD, professor in the UNMC Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, presented, “Cold Waters, Failing Systems: Lessons in Hypothermia from the Titanic,” on April 22 at the Kiewit Luminarium in conjunction with their exhibit, “Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission.”
The Nebraska Science Festival continues to grow. This year, Barn Girls Farms, an urban farm in Ralston, Nebraska, held the Barn Girls NE SciFest Day to highlight the world of microgreens, sustainable agriculture and innovative growing techniques.
Presented by UNMC, the Nebraska Science Festival is a collaboration of organizations and individuals interested in the advancement of science literacy. In addition to UNMC, other sponsors were Metro Credit Union, KETV and the Omaha Public Schools Foundation.