Local Science Cafés

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NOTE: All local science café series are currently on hiatus due to COVID-19 health and safety reasons. Stay tuned for updates on virtual events.

Science cafés, science pubs, and science trivia nights are a growing movement across the United States, offering a more casual setting for science learning and sharing. These events allow science enthusiasts to meet working researchers in person, and offer researchers a chance to directly share their passion with the public. You can learn more about science cafés at www.sciencecafes.org, a website organized by WGBH NOVA and the National Science Foundation.

The following café series are currently active in the Capital Region:

Astronomy on Tap (Davis, CA)
Hosted by: Victoria Strait
Dates: Monthly
Cost: Free to the public; beverages available
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AoT.Davis/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AoTDavis/

Short, fun astronomy talks at a brewery! Hosted at Sudwerks Brewing Company.

  • Browse list of upcoming and past AoT Davis events and speakers (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

Community Conversations (Sacramento, CA)
Co-hosted by: Powerhouse Science Center and the Research and Education Community Advisory Board in collaboration with UC Davis Health Center for Reducing Health Disparities, and UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center
Dates: Fourth Thursday of every other month
Cost: Free to the public

Join us for a conversation about health science in the Sacramento community. Scientist share their research and perspectives, while addressing your questions. Community Conversations are currently held at Old Soul @ Forty Acres, 3434 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95817.

Davis Science Café (Davis, CA)
Hosted by: Dr. Jared Shaw, UC Davis Department of Chemistry
Dates: Second Wednesday of each month
Cost: Free to the public; complimentary soft drinks
Website: http://chemistry.ucdavis.edu/outreach/science_cafe.html
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/davissciencecafe

The Davis Science Café series is organized by Professor Jared Shaw with the UC Davis Department of Chemistry with graduate student Leslie Nickerson. The series is supported by the UC Davis Department of Chemistry and UC Davis Division of Math & Physical Sciences, and promoted by CapSciComm. Hosted on the second Wednesday of each month at City Hall Tavern in Downtown Davis, café topics have spanned the likes of milk science, wine science, sea level rise, hyperdimensional geometry, and coral reef ecology. All ages welcome.

Nerd Nite Sacramento (Sacramento, CA)
Hosted by: Dr. Kelly Fleming
Dates: Monthly
Cost: $10
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NerdNiteSac/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NerdNiteSac/

TED Talks + Booze – Self-congratulatory Smugness = Nerd Nite. A monthly event featuring booze, educational and informative presentations, and booze. Definitely 21 and over! Hosted at At Ease Brewing.

  • Browse list of upcoming and past #NerdNiteSac events and speakers (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

Sac Science Distilled (Sacramento, CA)
Hosted by: Nicole Soltis, Lauren Camp, and Bobby Castagna
Dates: Third Wednesday of each month
Cost: Free to the public
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sacsciencedistilled/

***On Hiatus*** The Sacramento Grid finally has its own science café series! Debuting in September 2016, Sac Science Distilled is organized by Sacramento scicomm leaders Bobby Castagna,  Nicole Soltis, and Lauren Camp with support from the Powerhouse Science Center and promotion by CapSciComm. Sac Science Distilled will be hosted at Streets Pub and Grub on the third Wednesday of each month. It is free to the public and is a 21+ event.

Other science cafés with ties to the Capital Region:
Central Valley Café Scientifique (Fresno)
Science Uncorked (Bodega Bay)

Past science café series in the Capital Region:
WOW Science Night Live (Lodi)

Interested in starting a science café series in your neighborhood? Email us at admin@capscicomm.org and we’ll connect you with our resources and organizers. 

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