The second annual Georgetown Steam Plant Science Fair kicked into gear on September 20-21, attracting one of the most diverse and energized crowds ever to fill the halls of the Industrial Cathedral. For one unforgettable weekend, visitors were swept into a whirlwind, as more than 100 participants transformed the Steam Plant Fairgrounds into a living laboratory for fun and exploration.
The atmosphere inside the Steam Plant was electrified. Modular Seattle’s soundscapes and hourly 15-minute performances coalesced throughout the turbine room, punctuated by the sharp crackle and visual anarchy of Jacob’s Ladders, the raw energy of the Sarah and the Exciter, and the hair-raising spectacle of the Van Der Graaff. The “Next Step Beyond” up-cycled fast fashion show blurred the lines between art and rebellion, while local bands and DJs energized the MainStage, setting the scene as local makers, vendors, artists, scientists, and dreamers collided in a community celebration grounded in SHTEAM (Science, History, Technology, Engineering, ART, Math).
This year’s theme, “BREAK THE SYSTEM,” transformed the Science Fair into a community call to action. The Ash Room became a hub of resistance and reinvention, as community groups filled the space with bold alternatives to the current systems—exploring innovative ways to drive change at the local level. Together, they challenged fairgoers to imagine how we might dismantle outdated economic, industrial, social, and ecological systems that no longer serve us—proving that we have the power to redesign everything.
Next year, join us in The Village
The 2025 Science Fair is now a part of history, its memory illustrating the Georgetown Steam Plant’s evolution from industrial relic to cultural engine—a place where collaboration, experimentation, and community-led solutions converge—proving that when systems break, creativity rushes in to build something entirely new.
The Science Fair is a celebration of the Georgetown Steam Plant—The Great Exhibit—a relic of Seattle’s industrial past and a launchpad for new ideas.
