The Science Park's costumed science hosts will be participating in the center of Ås with our own installation, Brøleparten, developed with support from Infinitum. The installation focuses on circularity and pledges.
Vitenparken Campus Ås collaborates annually with Ås municipality on SmakÅs , a two-day food and technology festival. The Science Center is responsible for the free Family Day on Sundays, while Ås municipality coordinates the market day on Saturday.
SmakÅs is Norway's only food and technology festival with sustainable development as its main focus. Every autumn we invite young and old from Ås and the surrounding area to the festival at Campus Ås and in the city center. Previously, SmakÅs was a one-day festival divided between Ås city center and Vitenparken ; in 2022 we expanded to more days, with market day on Saturday and Family Day on Vitenparken Sunday. Since 2023, Vitenparken had the main responsibility for the festival's marketing and graphic profile.
As a science center for food and sustainable development, we contribute with a comprehensive outreach program for children and families.
In the school and kitchen garden , VitenEnga, our facilitators – under the main responsibility of Håkon Mella , educator and school garden facilitator – lead practical activities that connect growing, cooking and sustainability. The goal is to use the school garden as an interdisciplinary classroom where children and adults learn about the connection between ecosystems, how food is produced and what food security means – and why this must be protected for future generations.
We also arrange academic events about the history of science and research at Campus Ås, with historical tours and lectures – including about the history of Jarlsberg cheese, developed at NMBU and Norway's most internationally known cheese – as well as current lectures on food and food safety from leading academic circles. Our guides, many with research backgrounds and local roots in Ås and NMBU, take groups through Norway's most beautiful campus, while science hosts lead visitors to Korsmo's weed garden in collaboration with NIBIO to share knowledge about useful plants and "weeds".
Vitenparken houses NOBA – Norwegian BioArt Arena , Norway's first and only arena for bioart. During SmakÅs we have shown films, exhibitions and children's activities that promote the art form and stimulate children's creativity – to awaken new perspectives on nature, the environment and society.
Professor Roger Abrahamsen gives a lecture about Jarlsberg cheese at Family Day 2024
In our MatLab, we explore cooking from both sustainable and technological perspectives. Children can use a pancake robot to design and cook pancakes, and they can make their own salt. Our science hosts make nitrogen ice cream – a crowd favorite while also explaining the chemistry behind it.
The stations offer activities that both taste and explain, such as "make your own slush", used to illustrate physical principles (melting/cold) and link this to climate.
As a science center known for edible insects, we have a station where children and adults can taste – and learn about the climate and nutritional benefits. We also introduce plant-based protein snacks as the food of the future, to teach about sustainable consumption and what the diet of the future could look like.
Our presenter Frederic Lindboe engages the audience with science shows that combine humor, energy and learning for both children and adults. In addition, we offer a wide range of coding activities, from Bit:Bot to Sphero, and interactive installations developed in-house through our subsidiary Inspire to Action – most famously the Roaring Panther.
In 2024, nearly 5,000 people visited the festival in Ås over two days. This is probably the biggest and most important event for children in Ås this year. We are proud to offer this free of charge to residents and visitors. The Family Day alone attracts around 2,000 visitors.
Would you like to sponsor Family Day?
Contribute to stronger communication about food and sustainability, and to offer cultural and educational experiences for children and families – regardless of socio-economic background. Contact us at elina@vitenparken.no or marked@vitenparken.no.
Responsible at Vitenparken :
Elina Gobeti
Marketing and Communications Manager
elina@vitenparken.no
Graphic design:
– Raquel Marques
raquel@vitenparken.no
