Science in the Park – Hayward, CA

We had a fabulous day at Science in the Park this past Saturday, October 1st, 2022, on the CSU East Bay campus in Hayward, CA. Professor Danika LeDuc of CSU East Bay arrived early and checked us in, and her son Sean and California Section Chair-Elect Atefeh Taheri assisted us with setup. Nicki Davis and Vanessa Marx arrived soon after, so we had a great team to present UV-Color-Changing beads and the NCW 2022 theme activity, dyeing various types of yarn (acrylic, cotton, rayon, and wool) with various dyes (red or blue food coloring, or cochineal dye from insects). Many visitors left with their Proud to be a Chemist buttons and stickers, along with copies of Celebrating Chemistry and pocket Periodic Tables. The sun came out around noon, with dramatic effect on the UV-beads, and Jen Schmitt and Chimara Stancill arrived to reinforce the team for the afternoon and then help me pack up.

This event is new to the California Section; returning to Hayward in the post-pandemic world, it attracted well over a hundred exhibitors and thousands of visitors. We hope to be back in future years.