Igniting the Spark: A Celebration of All Things STEAM at OC Fair’s Imaginology

Ashley Ryan
14 minutes ago
7 min read

Innovative displays of engineering, science, math and more take center stage this weekend during the free youth fair, featuring brain-bending competitions, hands-on activities and live entertainment.

Kids can try out a new skill like learning to play an instrument during the OC Fair's Imaginology event. Photo courtesy of OC Fair & Event Center

Each year, Imaginology pushes the boundaries of imagination and innovation, inviting youths and their families to explore a vibrant world centered on learning. Held at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, the festival (April 11-12) is one of very few free family-friendly events of its size in the area, with immersive experiences designed to teach as much as thrill.

A collection of companies, nonprofits and clubs come together to present their own STEAM-inspired activities, allowing children to use their minds to explore the worlds of science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics – with the “a” doubling as agriculture here in Orange County, where cattle ranching and orange groves are integral components to the local heritage.

“Every single organization that’s here has an activity of some kind that ties into STEAM,” said Johanna Svensson, the exhibits and education director for OC Fair & Event Center. “I’ve worked for the fair for 25 years, and we’ve had this event in various forms since before I started. So, to me, it always feels like … a launch for the OC Fair, but at a community level, because it’s free and it speaks specifically to children.”

You can bring the whole family down to think creatively and maybe learn a thing or two this Saturday and Sunday for only the price of parking, which is $15 per vehicle.

PHOTO 1: A child learns about veterinary science. PHOTO 2: Animal interactions are a regular part of the festival, including moments with reptiles like snakes. PHOTO 3: Few things are as thrilling as learning something new, whether it’s educational or a physical feat like aerial silks. PHOTO 4: Kids can make images on a life-sized Lite-Brite. Photos courtesy of OC Fair & Event Center

The Big Picture

While Orange County students may be used to showcasing their work at school or even at home, Imaginology takes it a step further as a community spot where children can proudly display their work and celebrate their accomplishments with loved ones. “There's not that many opportunities outside of the classroom for kids to make things and know that it will be seen by a wide swath of people,” Svensson said. Whether they’re building something from scratch, watching a live demonstration or competing alongside peers, youth can engage in ways that feel true to who they are.

Interactive adventures introduce the children and their families to the local organizations that offer opportunities for learning, play, invention and experimentation alike. Visitors can decorate kindness stones with Excel Academy Charter, build a Cubelets robot with Girls Inc. of Orange County, explore OCC Planetarium telescopes, mingle with butterflies courtesy of SkyRiver Butterflies and make paper gliders or take to the skies with Harbor Soaring Society’s flight simulator. The fairgrounds will also host blacksmithing demonstrations, a take-home terrarium station and interactions with Centennial Farm animals.

In addition to on-site activities, the children can enter into competitions ranging from a chess tournament and livestock exhibitions to cardboard engineering, a poster art contest, upcycled masterpieces and a mural project that can be completed solo or in a classroom as a lesson in teamwork.

But Imaginology does more than encourage friendly competition, also sparking curiosity and inspiring participants to delve deep and explore the diverse career paths in STEAM-driven fields. As technology continues to grow and evolve, the hands-on skills used in the activities and competitions at the festival mirror the same abilities that employers seek throughout science, engineering and innovation-focused jobs worldwide. And with some of these companies joining in on the fun, the students can talk with them directly to learn more about possibilities for the future.

A scavenger hunt complete with a stamp card has also been created to guide children through the event, with a prize offered upon completion. “The thing that always stands out to me is the amount of engagement that kids have in various activities and that they don't want to leave,” Svensson said. “Because there’s more to see, there’s more to do.”

PHOTO 1: Live mariachi performances are included as entertainment for the weekend. PHOTO 2: Children get to try their hand at new STEAM-based activities like using power tools safely. PHOTO 3: Cultural song and dance showcase local arts students from the area. PHOTO 4: Kids enjoy a bubble show courtesy of Megan the Bubbleologist. Photos courtesy of OC Fair & Event Center

More Ways to Play

The educational activities and competitions are the main highlights of the Imaginology fair, but there are even more ways to play this year. One of the new attractions is the Cardboard Makeshop, where kids can use a child-friendly ChompSaw to cut pieces of cardboard without a blade, ensuring little fingers are safe. “They can make little 3D cardboard animals or whatever they want using this ChompSaw,” Svensson said. “We have some stencils that they can use, but they can (also) make their own thing …. I think kids are going to love it, and they’ll get to take home their creation.”

Also new this year is the return of a previous fan favorite, the Chalk Art Festival. Before the event kicks off April 11, there will be 36 artists, each with his or her own designated square, who will create drawings with oil pastels near the Plaza Pacific Stage. Open to teens ages 14 and up, the competition also welcomes younger participants to showcase their talents with the support of an adult. All child attendees can take part in the fun though by casting their vote for the Kid’s Choice Award.

And although there is entertainment every year, the 2026 schedule brings a fresh lineup of active experiences and live performances to the event. Inflatable obstacles at Heroes Hall replace the previous Ninja Nation course, providing space to test speed, strength and agility or simply compete against friends. “You can go two at a time … and they’ll just go around in circles five, six, seven times – as long as their parents will let them,” Svensson said. “Parents enjoy it, too, because they get to see their kids accomplishing something, and it stands out to me as just pure, unadulterated joy.”

Other entertainment ranges from Zany Zoe’s Magic Show and magical moments with Megan the Bubbleologist to performances by island-inspired song and dance group Tupua Kids & Youth, singer-songwriter Kensie Breen, Costa Mesa’s first teen mariachi band Mariachi Juvenil Herencia Michoacana and more.

*Eesha Neeladaran’s model of the Europa Clipper, which won second place in last year’s cardboard engineering contest. Photo courtesy of Eesha Neeladaran*

From the Teen Perspective

While much of the event is focused on little ones, Svensson hopes Imaginology can continue to partner with companies and organizations that develop activities for older kids. Teens, specifically, are a major focus, especially as many are building their skills and résumés as they explore potential career paths. This age group is eager for opportunities that feel meaningful yet challenging and are connected to their future goals.

Eesha Neeladaran, a sophomore at El Toro High School, competed for the first time last year. She earned second place in the cardboard engineering competition for her re-creation of the NASA probe Europa Clipper, launched to Jupiter’s moon, Galileo, in late 2024 and expected to arrive in the spring of 2030. The project took her two weeks to build, using only cardboard, tape, hot glue and a wooden stick.

“It helped me learn that I can take something that I’m curious about and turn it into something real,” Neeladaran said. “Because it was really challenging …. I didn’t know where to start, but as I went through the process, I became more confident in it and I was really proud to share my project with my parents and the judges. So I thought that was really cool. I had a lot of fun making it.”

While Neeladaran has created models of simulation systems for science fair projects in the past, she said the Imaginology competition encouraged her to think outside the box and build something that she felt could make a difference. A lot of thought has gone into this year’s event as well. Though Neeladaran will compete in the same event (as well as the upcycling project), she was still settling on her subject. “I just did a science fair project on a bioregenerative system to help lessen the energy use of physical chemical scrubbers that NASA’s International Space Station uses,” she said. “So I was thinking I could make a model of a space habitat with my biogenerative system, or I’m really interested in making another spacecraft.”

Involved in the STEAM programs throughout both her middle and high school years, Neeladaran has set her sights on becoming an engineering major, in large part due to her passion for space exploration. But building her 2025 Imaginology cardboard model has helped expand her perspective. “Working on this project, it really showed me how much I love to build,” she said. “So I’m thinking of mechanical engineering now for my major because I learned that I’m pretty good at building and I also like to build. So that definitely impacted what I think I want to do for my career.”

That’s part of the magic of hands-on learning, something that Imaginology does best. Through fun, interactive moments, the festival is inspiring the next generation of scholars in ways that organizers may not expect. “It let me explore ideas that are bigger than what we learn in a classroom, like sustainability and how I can make a space habitat and actually build them,” Neeladaran said. “And it kind of makes me feel like what I can create can one day matter in the real world.”