By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

The 2nd annual Kansas Science Festival ignited curiosity in children by transforming downtown Hays into a science lab on Sunday.

The festival was part of a statewide initiative to show how STEM is engaging and relevant for Kansans of all ages. Attendees explored topics such as robotics, chemistry, ecology, astronomy, wildlife biology, health sciences and agriculture.

Interactive stations were set up along Main Street, from the Hays Public Library to STEM Harvest. Ahead of the festival, Apollo 13 Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise spoke virtually with a Hays audience during an exclusive “Adventure in Space” event, sharing his firsthand account of surviving an oxygen tank explosion during a mission to the moon.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/2b8ca788-b11e-44fd-91d8-b1fbb8f64e43">SEE RELATED STORY: Apollo 13 astronaut reflects with Hays on near-disaster experience</a>

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/5/1777836699098.jpeg" alt="Kids learning about fossils at Kansas Science Festival in Hays. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>Kids learning about fossils at Kansas Science Festival in Hays. Photo By Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>By TONY GUERRERO Hays PostThe 2nd annual Kansas Science Festival ignited curiosity in children by transforming downtown Hays into a science lab on Sunday.The festival was part of a statewide initiative to show how STEM is engaging and relevant for Kansans of all ages. Attendees explored topics such as robotics, chemistry, ecology, astronomy, wildlife biology, health sciences and agriculture.Interactive stations were set up along Main Street, from the Hays Public Library to STEM Harvest. Ahead of the festival, Apollo 13 Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise spoke virtually with a Hays audience during an exclusive “Adventure in Space” event, sharing his firsthand account of surviving an oxygen tank explosion during a mission to the moon.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/2b8ca788-b11e-44fd-91d8-b1fbb8f64e43">SEE RELATED STORY: Apollo 13 astronaut reflects with Hays on near-disaster experience</a><figure>
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Kansas Science Festival takes over downtown Hays