There will be a STEAMfest in Fort Dodge on Saturday, but it will not be about the steam produced by boiling water.

In fact, the STEAM portion of the name STEAMfest is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. The event will offer young people a chance to get a little bit of hands-on experience in each of those fields of endeavor. Hopefully, those experiences will nurture or even start a lifelong interest in one of those fields. Perhaps some of the leading scientists and engineers of the future will get their start at this event.

STEAMfest will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Career Education Building at Iowa Central Community College. Admission is free.

What will young people be able to do at this event?

They will be able to operate robots provided by the Robotics Team from Fort Dodge Senior High School. They will be able to learn about pollinators from the staff of the Blank Park Zoo. And in an activity perfect for those kids who are just about bursting with energy, they will make smoothies in a blender powered by pedaling a bicycle.

There will be 16 exhibitors at the event. That total will include Iowa State University, Iowa Corn Growers Association, the Fort Museum and Frontier Village, the Fort Dodge Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department and the Blanden Memorial Art Museum.

The event’s sponsors include the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, Iowa Central Community College, the city of Fort Dodge and the Blanden Memorial Art Museum.

We encourage families to visit STEAMfest on Saturday for a fun and educational afternoon.