Gila Valley Health and Steam Festival Returns

The Gila Valley Health and Steam Festival is set to take place at Eastern Arizona University, and it’s definitely something you won’t want to miss. It offers a chance for families and science buffs to dive into hands-on learning experiences. The event is free and will be held at EAC’s Discovery Park campus on February 21 from 4 PM to 8 PM and on February 22 at the EAC Thatcher campus from 9 AM to noon.

On Friday, the Discovery Park will showcase 26 interactive exhibits suitable for all ages. Attendees can look forward to demonstrations featuring the Star Lab Planetarium and Van de Graaff generators, along with fun science experiments organized by the Safford Library and Freeport-McMoran. Plus, the Gov Aker Observatory will be open for stargazing, which could be kind of cool. There will also be food vendors around, offering snacks from places like Meg’s location and Mike’s Trembling Shed.

Saturday kicks off with a Go Gold one-mile run and a 5K color run, which supports Nathaniel’s Pediatric Cancer Foundation. Throughout the morning, guests can try out the Freeport haul truck simulator, get health screenings, and check out EAC’s Alliance Health and Steam Facility. Food options will include Auntie’s Waffle Truck, Bee’s Kitchen, J&J’s Kettle Corn Express, and Mike’s Shiver Shack, which sounds tempting.

According to the Dean of STEM at the college, this festival is a fantastic opportunity for the community to engage with science and health in an enjoyable and interactive way. It seems like a great way to showcase real-world applications in these fields and inspire learners of all ages.

This festival is made possible through the efforts of Airevac Services, Inc., CMI, the City of Safford, and several other partners including Arizona Science Initiative and Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold.