The STEM•X Festival returns to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City on Halloween weekend, and this year it runs two public days: Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. Admission is free, but every attendee needs a ticket reserved in advance, adults included.

The festival is produced by Morrison Mentors, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) based on Fulton Avenue in Hempstead that runs STEM education, academic enrichment and workforce training programs for students and their families. The museum lists the weekend on its own event calendar but points out that it does not handle tickets. Registration goes through the organizer.

From one day to a full weekend

Last year's festival was the first STEM•X Festival at the Cradle. According to the organizer's recap, registrations climbed from roughly 400 to 500 to more than 5,000 in about a month, and turnout on the day passed 5,000.

Morrison Mentors says what families told it afterward shaped the 2026 plan. People asked for more time at fewer, deeper stations instead of rushing from table to table. Some wanted a quiet place to regroup partway through the day. Many asked what came next. The answer was to spread the festival across two public days and add a separate school day on Friday, October 30, which is reserved for school groups and is not part of public registration.

What kids can try

Activities are grouped into eight categories, each with its own hands-on stations:

Robotics: kids program a robot, test it, and fix it when it does not do what they expected.

Coding: they start from a blank screen and build a small game, animation or working program.

3D printing: they design an object on screen, then watch it get printed layer by layer.

Drones: they plan a flight path and adjust for wind and weight.

Virtual reality: they step inside a simulation of places a field trip could not reach.

Engineering: they design, build and test a structure, then rebuild it if the first version fails.

Science: they run an experiment and explain the results in their own words.

Creative technology: they combine sound, light, art and code.

The Eventbrite listing also mentions clean energy demonstrations. Morrison Mentors says many activities are built for parents and children to work side by side, though adults can also step back and let their child lead.

Ages and planning your visit

The festival is meant for whole families, and no prior experience is needed. Younger children get simple, guided stations, and teens get more advanced builds. Every zone is open to all ages, but the organizer notes that a few of the advanced robotics and coding stations suit kids 8 and older. Children must stay with a parent or guardian throughout.

The festival runs rain or shine inside the museum. The building is wheelchair accessible, and families can send specific accommodation requests to the organizer through the contact page on the STEM•X website.

A few details are still being finalized. A quieter, lower sensory area is being planned for families who need a break from the noise, and food options on site will be confirmed closer to the weekend. The organizer's visitor notes say most families stay two to three hours, and that late morning is usually the most crowded, with opening time and the hours after 1 p.m. typically calmer.

More from the same program

The festival is the free entry point to a larger set of STEM•X programs run by Morrison Mentors, including take home activity kits, a summer camp, and STEM•X Saturdays, a recurring Saturday program for ages 6 to 14 at the group's Hempstead location, 250 Fulton Avenue. The Saturday program is grouped by age (6 to 9, 10 to 12, and 13 to 14), and its fall season runs from November 7 to December 19, with no session on Thanksgiving weekend. Pricing has not been posted yet.

How to go

The STEM•X Festival 2026 takes place Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, at the Cradle of Aviation Museum, Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, Garden City. Admission is free. Reserve a free ticket for each person in your group, adults included, through the festival page at stemx.mmentors.org/festival, which links to the Eventbrite listing. Questions can go to Morrison Mentors at (516) 640-4492.

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