Dec. 7 Family Activities at the Discovery Center; Festival of Lights Parade

The Space Foundation will bring space down to Earth for a special day of space history and winter-weather presentations for all ages at the Discovery Center in Colorado Springs on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Spend the day learning about the history of the U.S. space program, enjoying our arts and crafts area, joining “Cool Science” for exciting hands-on demonstrations of extreme cold and weather using liquid nitrogen and solid carbon dioxide, watching special winter weather-related presentations featuring the Discovery Center’s Science On a Sphere® and relaxing with cookies and cider.

The following activities are included in the price of admission on Dec. 7:

• 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. — “Cool Science” hands-on super cold and weather demonstrations for all ages
• 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. — special weather-related presentations featuring the Discovery Center’s Science On a Sphere®
• 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. — make arts and crafts, all ages
• 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. — self-guided tours of Discovery Center space exhibits
• 1:00 – 1:45 p.m. — “From Ike to Obama: U.S. Space Policy,” talk by Space Foundation Vice President – Washington Operations Brendan Curry (pictured), a discussion of how policy decisions in our nation’s capital drive, or sometimes hurt, U.S. space efforts

About the Space Foundation Discovery Center
The Space Foundation Discovery Center is the region’s only space, science and technology attraction, and is located at 4425 Arrowswest Drive in Colorado Springs, just off of Garden of the Gods Road.

The Discovery Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Please note: the Discovery Center will close for the holiday season on Dec. 14, reopening Thursday, Jan. 2.

Discovery Center daily admission fees are $9 for adults, $7 for seniors (age 65+), $7 for college students with I.D., $3 for children ages 4-17. Military fees are $4.50 for adults with I.D., and $1.50 for children ages 4-17. Children age three years and younger are admitted free.

Bring a food bank donation on Dec. 7 and receive $1.00 off admission per person per donation. Please note that food banks cannot accept expired food donations.

Learn about Discovery Center exhibits by visiting www.spacefoundation.org/museum.

Colorado Springs Festival of Lights Parade
The Festival of Lights Parade is an annual tradition in Colorado Springs, and once again it will feature a unique float created by Space Foundation team members.

The parade will begin at 5:50 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, and this year’s theme is “Songs of the Season.” The Space Foundation float theme is “Joy to the World(s)” and will feature large, illuminated and inflated planets, and plenty of colorful characters walking along side the float on the parade route.

In 2012, for its first year in the parade, the Space Foundation was named winner of the “Rudolph Award, Best Lighting on a Float” by parade organizers.

Pictured, right: Space Foundation team members work on the 2013 float for the Colorado Springs Festival of Lights Parade 

This article is part of Space Watch: December 2013 (Volume: 12, Issue: 12).