2025
May 11, 2025 (Sunday)	Mother's Day
May 17, 2025 (Sat 8:30-5)	America Rocketry Challenge (ARC) National Finals Fly-off Has an Exhibit/University Display Area Open to the public with no charge for admission Gravity is Optional will participate.
May 17, 2025 (Sat 10-4)	Techstravaganza 2025 Free, open to the public hands-on STEM activity fair Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
May 26, 2025 (Monday)	Memorial Day - the last Monday in May
June 7, 2025 (Sat 10-3)	31st Annual Manassas Railway Festival
June 7, 2025 (Sat 7-1)	Manassas Tailgate / hamfest $8 per person over 14
June 15, 2025 (Sunday)	Father's Day - the third Sunday in June
June 21, 2025 (Sat 10-2)	5th Annual Manassas Bee Festival costume parade, food trucks, mead garden, live music, vendors, crafts, native plants, speakers, farm animals, bounce house, games, crafts, and more.
July 2-7, 2025	Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall Looking Forward - Youth and the Future of Culture (Only one week this year)
July 14-20, 2025 (Mon-Sun)	IJA festival ~$350 for the full week-long festival Evansville, IN
July 17-20, 2024 (Thu, Sun)	Private event
Aug 30-31, 2025 Sat & Sun 9am - 6pm	Scottish Games Great Meadow, The Plains, VA $25/day
Sept 1, 2025 (Monday)	Labor Day - the first Monday in Sept
Sept 13, 2025 Sat 10:30am - 3pm	Dulles Day Plane Pull® 2025 Lots of stuff to see
Sept 20, 2025 (Sat 6pm-11pm)	Astronomy Festival on the National Mall Join more than 40 astronomy/science organizations on the National Mall to share astronomy concepts during the day and share views of the D.C. sky at night. In front of the Air and Space Museum
Nov xx-24, 2025 Sat 10am - 6pm Sun 10am - 4 pm	33rd Annual Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show & Sale George Mason University - Dewberry Hall (in the Johnson Center) Rte 123 & Braddock Rd, Fairfax, VA Approximately 20 Dealers selling Minerals, Fossils, Crystals, Gems, Jewelry, Meteorites & more! Also, Demonstrations, Exhibits, Door Prizes & Kid's Activities including Mini-mines & Fossil Dig. Silent Auction on Sunday. Sponsored by Northern Virginia Mineral Club (NVMC) Adults $6, Seniors 65+ $4, Teens 13-17 $3, 12 and under free, Scouts in uniform FREE. Park in lot A - ONLY, other lots ticket, garages are $10/day, follow van from lot A for handicap parking Gravity is Optional will participate.
2026
Jan 16-17, 2026 (Fri & Sat) Fri 9-5 Sat 9-5	Cabin Fever Expo - 29th Event Model Engineering Show & Auctions Lebanon Valley Expo Center, Lebanon, PA - map Steam engines, Boats (on an indoor pond), and Trains $20, 12-18 $10, 12 & Under FREE Gravity is Optional will participate.
Feb 18-22, 2026 (Wed thru Sun)	G4G16 - Gathering 4 Gardner Biennial Conference Hyatt Regency, San Francisco, California, USA
March 14 - 15, 2026 March 21 - 22, 2026	Highland County Maple Festival Highland County, Virginia
March ? - 9, 2026 March ? - 16, 2026 10AM to 2PM	Maple Syrup Festival at Cunningham Falls State Park This event has been a staple in Frederick County for more than 50 years. Frederick County, Maryland
March 21-22, 2026 Sat 10-6 Sun 11-5	Annual Gem / Mineral / Fossil Show Demonstrations, Workshops, Fluorescent tent, Over 40 exhibits Sponsored by The Gem, Lapidary and Mineral Society of Montgomery County, Maryland (GLMS-MC) At Montgomery County Maryland Fairgrounds, 16 Chestnut Street, Gaithersburg, MD Adults $7, 11 and under free Gravity is Optional will participate.
April 5, 2026 (Sunday)	Easter - the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox.
May 10, 2026 (Sunday)	Mother's Day - the second Sunday of May
May 26, 2025 (Monday)	Memorial Day - the last Monday in May
June 21, 2026 (Sunday)	Father's Day - the third Sunday in June
Sept 7, 2026 (Monday)	Labor Day - the first Monday in Sept
2022
April 23, 2022 (Sat)	National Math Festival online event
2023
March 11, 2023 (Sat 8pm-10pm)	Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Udvar-Hazy Center Star Party View the wonders of the universe through telescopes Free parking after 4pm These events are held on a regular basis - Northern-Virginia-Astronomy-Club-NOVAC
April 28, 2023 (Fri 6-8)	STEM night Colvin Run Elementary School in Vienna (north end by Wolf Trap). Gravity is Optional will participate.
April 25 & 26, 202x (Sat & Sun) ???	6th USA Science & Engineering Festival Walter E. Washington Convention Center This was a giant success in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018 .. which is why they are bringing it back. 18 and under, free - 19 and older, $20 at the door - see web page for discounts
May 06, 2023 (Sat 10-2)	Manassas Regional Airport Open House Free open house showcasing the airport's facilities, various aircraft, aviation vendors, and classic cars.
May 13, 2023 (Sat 10-5)	Manassas Viking Festival There will not be a festival in 2024
Aug 26 & 27, 2023 Sat 10am - 4pm Sun 10am - 4 pm	Americans in Wartime Experience - 2023 Tank Farm Open House (Schedule) Lots of tanks, demos, flame thrower (10:30 am only) Warning: Open field in August - wear a hat 09-13-24 update - they will not have an event in 2024, they plan for one in 2025
Oct 15, 2023 Sun noon - 5 pm	MAW Mushroom Fair at Brookside Gardens Mushroom-related walks, talks, and videos Brookside Gardens Visitors Center 1800 Glenallen Ave, Wheaton, MD
Oct 20, 2023 (Fri) 9:30am to 2pm	X-STEM NOVA A FREE in-person CONFERENCE-STYLE event for middle and high school students designed to empower and inspire kids about careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The National Conference Center, Leesburg, VA
Oct 21, 2023 Sat 9-4	NASA's Langley Research Center openhouse The event is open to the public. Admission is free.
Oct 28, 2023 Sat 6pm to 8pm	Trunk or Treat Halloween Go trick-or-treating from our decorated vans, trucks, and cars in a safe, fun, and completely outdoor environment. Free NOVA Labs Fairfax, VA
2024
May 4, 2024 (Sat 5-11 PM)	Astronomy Day 2024 C. M. Crockett Park
May 17-19, 2024 (Fri, Sat, Sun)	AutomataCon AutomataCon 2016 Convention (video) This repeats every 2 years Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ, USA
October 20, 2024 June 9, 2024 Sun 10am – 4pm	NOVA Labs Maker Faire City of Alexandria High School Alexandria, VA Gravity is Optional will participate.
2025
Jan 17-18, 2025 (Fri & Sat) Fri 9-5 Sat 9-5	Cabin Fever Expo - 28th Event Model Engineering Show & Auctions Lebanon Valley Expo Center, Lebanon, PA - map Steam engines, Boats (on an indoor pond), and Trains $20, 12-18 $10, 12 & Under FREE Gravity is Optional will participate.
Feb 7-8, 2025 (Fri/Sat 7:00-8:30)	Physics is Phun - at the University of Maryland The Physics of Film Physics is Phun is an outstanding long-running physics demonstration series geared toward a high school audience with a focus on education and entertainment.
March 8 - 9, 2025 March 15 - 16, 2025	Highland County Maple Festival Highland County, Virginia
March 8 - 9, 2025 March 15 - 16, 2025 10AM to 2PM	Maple Syrup Festival at Cunningham Falls State Park This event has been a staple in Frederick County for more than 50 years. Frederick County, Maryland
March 14, 2025 Fri 1:09 AM - 3:09 AM	Total Lunar Eclipse
March 15-16, 2025 Sat 10-6 Sun 11-5	Annual Gem / Mineral / Fossil Show Demonstrations, Workshops, Fluorescent tent, Over 40 exhibits Sponsored by The Gem, Lapidary and Mineral Society of Montgomery County, Maryland (GLMS-MC) At Montgomery County Maryland Fairgrounds, 16 Chestnut Street, Gaithersburg, MD Adults $7, 11 and under free Gravity is Optional will participate.
March 30, 2025 (Sun 10am-3pm)	PWCAS 2025 Bluebell Festival Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area
March 30, 2025 (Sun 11am-4pm)	Lynchburg Makerfaire Gravity is Optional will participate.
April 5&6, 2025 (Sat Sun)	Pennsylvania Maple Festival Meyersdale, PA
April 5, 2025 (Sat 10-3)	2025 Asheville Maker Faire
April 9-13, 2025	Pennsylvania Maple Festival Meyersdale, PA
April 20, 2025 (Sunday)	Easter
April 26, 2025 (Sat 10-4)	Maryland Day: A Campus-Wide Open House at the University of Maryland This is a great opportunity to learn about UMD and to see what is available. There will be all types of science and engineering related demos and displays.
April 27, 2025 (Sun - Noon to 5 pm)	34rd Rockville Science Day - Get kids interested in science and technology Chemistry fun - loud noises, fire, vacuums See a Solar Car, an electric car, sunspots (weather permitting) Rockets, Robots, Minerals, hands-on exhibits, and lots more Free - Noon to 5 pm Montgomery College, Rockville Campus, Rockville, MD Gravity is Optional will participate.
May 3, 2025 (Sat - 6pm to 11 pm)	Astronomy Day 2025 C. M. Crockett Park
May 3, 2025 (Sat - 10 am to 5 pm)	2025 Kinetic Sculpture Race Peddle powered "art" - over roads and water, thru mud and soft sand, this event is completely nuts! Race starts at 10am at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore and continues for 15 miles thru the city. However, the fun starts much earlier. NOVA LabsMobile - 2019 - featured five pilots, brightly colored pontoon barrels and pinwheels, and giant wings laser-cut from quarter-inch insulating foam. Images, a video overview, and a video of the start from the 2014 race.
May 9-11, 2025 (Friday - Sunday) Free Show Saturday 8pm	Congress Of Jugglers 2025 (Sponsored by UMD Juggling Club) Come and defy gravity. Ride a unicycle. Let people throw stuff at you. Free lessons. You should come and check it out. The Saturday afternoon show is really worth more than the price of admission. Videos - index 2007 2010 2011 2013 - mostly fire 2017 Ritchie Coliseum at the University of Maryland.

URL: http:// gravityisoptional.com / Events.html