AerospaceFest

September 19th, 2026, 10:30am-4pm.

This event is FREE to the public and geared towards science enthusiasts, stargazers, explorers, and learners of all ages! 

AerospaceFest is the Discovery Center’s annual celebration of all things STEM and highlights the exciting ways local companies, universities, non-profits, and other organizations are contributing to science and education. These organizations will be spread around the Discovery Center’s grounds and exhibit halls, sharing their work with visitors through demonstrations, hands-on activities, and discussions.

The event also includes the premiere of a new planetarium show, a Keynote Speaker, and the presentation of the Alex Higgins Memorial Space Camp Scholarship to award winners. Plus, a full line-up of fun on the main stage!

A young girl dressed as an astronaut and a person in a NASA astronaut costume pose in front of a space shuttle display at a museum. The girl is giving a thumbs up while holding her helmet, and the person in the costume is kneeling and pointing. There is a cartoon astronaut cutout with a speech bubble nearby.

Thank you to everyone who participated in AerospaceFest 2025!

We look forward to seeing you next year!

Interested in becoming a Sponsor or Vendor for AerospaceFest 2026?

Contact Melissa Edwards at medwards@starhop.com or call 603-415-1646.

An older man standing next to a young girl in a park, with orange cones on the ground, and another girl in the background at the McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
A smiling woman with a tattoo on her arm, wearing a black sleeveless top, a cap, and gloves, holding a small ferret on a blanket at an outdoor event at the McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
Group of people at a school event by a booth with NASA and Belmont High School banners, some seated and some standing, under a white tent.
A young boy at a table outdoors with his parents is engaging in an educational moment at the McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
A woman helps a young girl craft star-shaped bracelets at an outdoor event, with a boy sitting nearby. There is a sign that says "Make Your Own Star Bracelets."
Two men standing outdoors, smiling, with a mobile science classroom or educational vehicle in the background, and one holding a long white pole.
A woman and three children standing around a green table outdoors, engaged with papers and objects during daytime.
A man using a telescope outdoors during daytime with a young girl beside him.
Adults and children outdoors with bubbles around a table, engaging in a playful activity.
Indoor display featuring a large aircraft with a poster promoting the movie 'A Million Miles Away,' a table with promotional materials, a pair of boots, gloves, and books, and a person standing nearby.
A young woman stands behind a Girl Scouts information table with pamphlets and pink badges on a green tablecloth that says 'Ask me about Girl Scouts,' in front of a large U.S. Navy jet aircraft at an indoor aviation museum. The table also has a teddy
An astronaut in a white space suit standing in a doorway at the McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
Two employees behind a curved wooden reception desk at a science museum, with scientific models, informational materials, and office supplies on the desk. Behind them is a large window and a science exhibit.
Two women employees at the McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.in orange shirts sitting and standing at a reception desk in a museum, with exhibits and visitors visible in the background.
Smiling woman with short dark hair and glasses standing on a balcony, making a peace sign in front of a window with green trees and buildings.
A person standing behind a table with a computer monitor showing an X-ray of a skull and a keyword chart related to photonic spectrum, set up in a room with photography and scientific equipment, possibly at an educational or science event.
A group of four people standing behind an Elbit Systems of America display booth at an event. The booth features various electronic devices, informational posters, and a yellow table cover with the company logo. The background includes banners with i
Two women in orange uniforms standing behind a reception desk at McAuliffe-Shepherd Discovery Center, with informational displays and decorations around them.
Children and adults at a science exhibit with colorful hoops and a pegboard display at the McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
Children and an adult pose with an astronaut-dressed person at a space museum exhibit at McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
A young girl in an orange space suit and a man dressed as an astronaut pose in front of a fighter jet The girl holds a helmet and is giving a thumbs-up, while the astronaut crouches beside her, pointing at the camera.
Two women, McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center employees, wearing orange shirts standing on either side of a donation bin with a space helmet on top at an indoor exhibition, smiling at the camera.
Children and adults gather around a table, participating in a science activity. One boy in a blue shirt is examining something on the table, guided by an adult. Other children and adults observe or participate.
Children and young women playing in a sand table at an educational event, with posters of young scientists in the background.
A woman with a name tag is helping a young girl make a star-shaped bracelet using beads and string at a craft table. There is a sign that reads 'Make Your Own Star Bracelets' on the table.
A custom-built robot with a transparent body, large eyes, and a plush toy on top, in an indoor room with various equipment and chairs in the background.
Interior of the McAuley-Shepard Discovery Center with a large airplane in the foreground, a stage with musical performers, people walking up and down stairs, and exhibits related to aviation, including a NASA astronaut and a lunar module model.
Two women employees at the McAuley-Shepard Discovery Center, wearing orange shirts, assist children at a table with craft supplies in a public indoor space.
A young boy with a crutch shaking hands with an older man in a suit, with a woman standing nearby in an indoor setting with large windows and a digital sign in the background.
A man with white hair speaking into a microphone at a podium, with a woman standing beside him at the McAuley-Shepard Discovery Center