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Mountain Science Expo

Join us for a free STEM-oriented science festival where you can interact with scientists, explore nature, and grow your curiosity!

The Mountain Science Expo is a part of the larger NC Science Festival, a state-wide and month-long event dedicated to celebrating the impact of science educationally, culturally, and economically on our state. The NC Science Festival and the Mountain Science Expo hope to inspire children to pursue—and adults to support—the sciences, such that North Carolina can lead the country and the world as a place of innovation and learning. This year’s theme is “Science: Everyday, Everywhere, Everyone” highlighting how science is being driven forward within North Carolina.

The Expo will feature live animal presentations, exhibitors from across the region, special interactive activities, and more! It takes place in both of The North Carolina Arboretum’s main buildings, through the gardens, and corresponds with our Native Azalea Day event in its own garden.

Exhibitors

The Mountain Science Expo provides an opportunity for all ages to learn about STEM fields and interact with scientists and science educators in a hands-on and wonder-filled environment. Participating exhibitors include:

  • Asheville Makers
  • Asheville Museum of Science
  • Muddy Sneakers
  • The National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI)
  • The North Carolina Department of Air Quality (NCDAQ)
  • UNCA STEAM Labs
  • RiverLink
  • Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter
  • FIND Outdoors
  • And more!

Native Azalea Day

Participants in the 2025 Mountain Science Expo will also have the opportunity to visit the North Carolina Arboretum’s Azalea Collections for a special Native Azalea Day event. This event will feature additional exhibitors, including local horticultural organizations, artists, and ecoEXPLORE educators.

Golden Tickets

Kids can get special Golden Tickets! Simply check out a science book from your local library, and you’ll receive a Golden Ticket good for free parking the day of the event. Participating libraries listed here: Buncombe, Henderson, Rutherford, Transylvania, Madison, McDowell, Haywood.

There is no additional cost to attend Mountain Science Expo beyond our standard parking fee. As always, Arboretum Society members and their accompanying guests can enter for FREE (guests must be in member vehicles to receive free entry).

Mountain Science Expo 2025 is sponsored by Arboretum Community Partners

Intro to Botany for ecoEXPLORERS (8-13yrs)

Would you like to become a citizen scientist? Come to the Swannanoa Library for Intro to Botany, a program provided by the NC Arboretum. Examine specimens under a microscope, learn about the science of plants, and take a walk to see the plants in our area. Become an EcoExplorer and help us know more about what grows and lives in our community. Learn how to get your Botany Field Badge and free pass to the Arboretum!

Intro to Botany for ecoEXPLORERS (8-13yrs)

Scientists need YOUR help in studying plants everywhere, including your own backyard! Join us for an introduction to ecoEXPLORE, a new initiative by The North Carolina Arboretum in partnership with the Buncombe County Library System. Participants will receive a free hand lens to aid their exploration, and upon registering as a participant at www.ecoexplore.net, receive an ecoEXPLORE patch. A special emphasis will be placed on botany, the study of plants. Find out how you can earn your botany badge and a free pass to the Mountain Science Expo on April 9th at the Arboretum. Recommended for ages 8 to 13 but all ages are welcome.

ecoEXPLORE Kick-off (8-13yrs)

Calling all explorers! Join us for the kick-off of ecoEXPLORE, a new initiative by the North Carolina Arboretum in partnership with the Buncombe County Library System. Learn how to join our group of ecoEXPLORERS and help real scientists by taking photographs of plants and animals and sharing your observations with others.

Stop by the library on Saturday, March 12 to visit with The North Carolina Arboretum education staff and some of the Arboretum’s animal ambassadors including an eastern box turtle, black rat snake, American toad and more! We’ll show you how to use smartphones and tablets to earn prizes through the ecoEXPLORE program and contribute to science. Register as an ecoEXPLORER and get your own ecoEXPLORE patch!

This free program is recommended for ages 8 to 13 but all ages are welcome.

Glitch Perfect: A Free Glitchmaking Workshop for Teens (12-18yrs)

Is a glitch still a glitch if you do it on purpose? These are the kind of questions asked in our technical workshop on glitch art and the power of breaking. Artist O.K. Keyes offers this free workshop in conjunction with her art installation Phantomythography: A Young Ghost Comes of Age.  Queer Theory meets media art in this step by step process for creating your own glitchy GIFs using open source software. For ages 12-18.

LEGO Club (K-5th grade)

Calling all LEGO enthusiasts – come on over to Buncombe County libraries to one of our four LEGO clubs:
East Asheville Library – first Thursday of the month at 4 p.m.
Leicester Library – last Friday of the month at 3:30 p.m.
Oakley/South Asheville Library – first Saturday of the month at 10 a.m.
Pack Library – every Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
Show off your building skills and make friends with other LEGO maniacs. Please leave your personal LEGOs at home because we’ve got plenty! LEGO Builders is for school-age (grades K-5) kids.
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