Dead or Alive: Halloween at NYSCI

October 26 – 28, 2012

Join us for a spooky and spirited, do-it-yourself twist on Halloween and the Day of the Dead. Bats, catapults, pumpkin sculpting, piñatas, papel picado, and Halloween-inspired robots are all part of the celebration. Most activities are free with NYSCI admission. Some projects and shows require a small materials fee.

Friday, October 26:

• Pumpkin Chucking – Watch as pumpkins are thrown hundreds of feet in the air by our 19-foot-tall catapult. 3:30 pm.

Saturday, October 27:

• Live Bat Encounters – Find out about the benefits of bats, why we need to conserve them, and what you can do to help them at this special show with Rob Mies from the Organization for Bat Conservation. See some live bats including a big brown bat from North America, fruit bats from Africa and Asia, and the largest bat in the world, a gigantic flying fox bat from Malaysia. noon, 1 & 2 pm. $5 ($4 members), plus NYSCI admission. Limited capacity. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the show.
• Pumpkin Chucking – Watch as pumpkins are thrown hundreds of feet in the air by our 19-foot-tall catapult. 1:30, 2:30 & 3:30 pm.
• Giant Piñata – Work alongside other families to help decorate a giant piñata, while learning how to make one from a master. 1, 2, 3 & 4 pm.
• Papel Picado – Make your own papel picado, a Mexican banner that is made from paper cut into elaborate designs. 1:30, 2:30, 3:30 & 4:30 pm.
• Robotic Halloween – Dance along to Corey Fogarty's Halloween-themed animatronics. 1 – 5 pm.
• Glowing Paint – Make something to light your way home with glow-in-the-dark paint. 1 – 5 pm.
• Pumpkin Decorating – Bring a pumpkin from home and decorate it with your own unique style. noon – 4 pm.
• Giant Bugs – Marvel at some giant bug sculptures that were fabricated by NYSCI's own exhibit designer. 1 – 5 pm.
• Demonstrations – Learn more with special demonstrations led by NYSCI Explainers. 3 & 4 pm.
   

Saturday Night, October 27:

• Dead or Alive Party – Smash giant piñatas, join the virtual costume party, and enjoy music, live video projections by Glowing Pictures, and traditional Mexican treats by Tortilleria Nixtamal at this early evening event. 5 – 7 pm.
• Costume Contest – Visitors wearing costumes can enter a drawing to win NYSCI prizes.

Sunday, October 28:

• Pumpkin Chucking – Watch as pumpkins are thrown hundreds of feet in the air by our 19-foot-tall catapult. 1:30, 2:30 & 3:30 pm.
• Papel Picado – Make your own papel picado, a Mexican banner that is made from paper cut into elaborate designs. noon, 1, 2 & 3 pm.
• Robotic Halloween – Dance along to Corey Fogarty's Halloween-themed animatronics. noon – 4 pm.
• Glowing Paint – Make something to light your way home with glow-in-the-dark paint. noon – 4 pm.
• Pumpkin Decorating – Bring a pumpkin from home and decorate it with your own unique style. noon – 4 pm.
• Pumpkin Carving Demos with Maniac Pumpkin Carvers – Learn from the masters as you watch the Maniacs at work. noon – 4 pm.
• Demonstrations – Learn more about spooky fog and splattering pumpkins with special demonstrations led by NYSCI Explainers. 1, 2 & 3 pm.
• Little Makers: Project Piñata – Celebrate the Day of the Dead by designing and making a family pinata. 10:30 am – 12:30 pm. $8 per family ($5 members)