The science celebration Eurêka is coming to Parc Jean-Drapeau at the end of May with the aim to stimulate scientific minds across the city.

For its 16th edition, which will run over three days from May 26-28, 2023, the festival will offer scientific discoveries with more than 100 free activities for the entire family. Held outdoors at the foot of the Biosphère environmental museum in Parc Jean-Drapeau, there will be experts from Montreal’s Espace pour la vie group of museums and other institutions. The Biosphère will also host actvities.

Themed Science Activities

This year’s theme is Energy – which sets the program for more than 50 hands-on workshops and experiments. Festival goers will be invited to learn about and discover different forms of energy, and to question our consumption of it as well as its environmental impact. Street shows, entertainment, magic, theatre, scientific feats, demonstrations, and 27 interactive lectures and shows will be set up to offer educational science activities.

Credit: Melanie Dusseault

Festival favourites will be back including Faucon-Éduc and their birds of prey, Sciences en Folie, The Magic of Chemistry and Atomic Neurons who will go over the basics of electricity with hair-raising experiments. Festival goers will also be able to handle a catapult, build magnetic robots and windmills, cook energy balls, and use artificial intelligence to reduce the energy footprint of their travels.

“We can never say it enough: learning science helps young people better understand the world around them and realize the impact of their choices on their environment,” says Yves Mauffette, biologist and chairman of the board of directors of L’île du savoir. “By shining a spotlight on the major issue of energy, we hope that young people will think about the future, because it belongs to them.”

Credit: Melanie Dusseault

Among the highlights of this year’s program: Osedea and Boston Dynamics’ famous SPOT robot will meet the public. Esteban will present the first two-seat solar vehicle in Quebec, Elliot Claveau of MIT will unveil nuclear fusion, Atracktiv will invite young and old to pedal to generate electricity and form a musical group, and the circus company FLIP Fabrique will deploy muscular energy. Youngsters might enjoy learning with Let’s Preserve Nature’s Energy in the Desjardins Nature Zone, building an aluminum model airplane using professional techniques and then personalize it with an engraver in the Model Airplane Workshop, and chatting with researchers while building a sugar packet launcher or wind machine in the workshop with Technoscience Région métropolitaine.

Credit: Melanie Dusseault

There is a ton to do, so make sure to check out the full schedule and plan your activities. All Festival activities and all exhibition halls in the Biosphère are free for the weekend.

Festival Schedule

Friday, May 26, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 27, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., evening show starting at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 28, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Biosphère

160, ch. Tour-de-l’Isle, Île Sainte-Hélène, Montréal

To access the site, use the Jean-Drapeau metro station (yellow line) or BIXI rental bikes, or ride your own on the 14 kilometres of reserved bike lanes. There are also a number of paid parking lots on Île Sainte-Hélène and Île Notre-Dame, but those nearest the Biosphère may fill up which will require a walk of about 10-15 minutes.

For all information, visit festivaleureka.ca