Science Center of Iowa Celebrates Science and Culture with Free ¡Ciencia para todos! Event

The Science Center of Iowa (SCI) will celebrate Latino Heritage Month with ¡Ciencia para todos!, a free community event bringing science, culture and families together on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 5-8 p.m.

The evening will feature cultural performances, bilingual science programming, hands-on activities and opportunities to explore SCI. Admission is free and all are welcome. Food from local vendors will be available for purchase outside SCI beginning at 5 p.m.

¡Ciencia para todos! is part of SCI’s ongoing effort to create a place where more families feel welcomed, represented and connected to science. The event gives SCI an opportunity to celebrate Latino cultures while introducing families to the exhibits, programs and educational experiences available at the Science Center of Iowa.

“Science belongs to everyone, and we want the Science Center of Iowa to be a place where everyone feels like they belong, too,” said Curt Simmons, SCI President and CEO. “¡Ciencia para todos! is a chance to celebrate with our community, share some great science experiences and, just as importantly, listen and learn.”

The celebration begins with Folklor Mexicano Estilo y Movimiento, featuring young dancers showcasing traditional dances from different regions of Mexico. Later in the evening, Cucho Madero will perform melodies on the zampoña, a traditional Peruvian pan flute. Educators and musicians Rich Salas and RJ Hernandez of Los Carnales will close the event with music and storytelling celebrating familia, education and cultural heritage.

Science will be part of the celebration throughout the night. Guests can attend bilingual story time under the stars in the Star Theater Planetarium and a bilingual Deep Freeze demonstration in SCI Live. Families can also explore robotics and coding, create a moving butterfly while learning about simple machines, and discover the contributions of Latino scientists through a museum-wide bingo activity. Participants who complete Latino Scientist Bingo can enter a drawing for a free SCI family membership.

Families will also be invited to contribute to a collaborative community mural built around a simple message: science is for everyone. Guests will create flowers, butterflies and STEM-inspired artwork that will become part of a mural SCI hopes to display in the Makers Studio.

The Oct. 3 celebration is also an opportunity for SCI to hear directly from the community. Feedback from families and community partners will help SCI understand how it can make its programs and visitor experience more accessible and welcoming.

The effort extends beyond the Oct. 3 event. With support from a $196,046 Museums for America grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), SCI is beginning work to improve language accessibility throughout the Science Center, including adding exhibit information and signage in both English and Spanish.

For SCI, making information available in both languages is about more than translation. It can help Spanish-speaking visitors more fully engage with exhibits and make it easier for multigenerational families to explore, talk about and experience science together. That reasoning closely reflects the research and goals outlined in SCI’s grant application.

“This grant gives us an opportunity to begin important work to make the Science Center of Iowa more accessible to our visitors,” Simmons said. “But this is just the first step. What we learn from our community will help guide where we go from here and how we can create a Science Center where more people feel welcome and connected to science.”

¡Ciencia para todos!
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026 | 5-8 p.m.
Science Center of Iowa
401 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy, Des Moines

Admission is free and all are welcome.

Food will be available for purchase from Reyes Tamales, Los Compadres Flaming Tacos and Snackilandia.