Chill out at Sci-Port’s wintry exhibition

Time to bundle up! will be back in all its frozen and flurried glory this month at Sci-Port Discovery Center in Shreveport. With all the fun of snow without the cold mess, Sno-Port offers a winter wonderland experience for kids and adults alike with Sno-Port Winter Science Exhibition.

Kicking off Nov. 27, Sno-Port will run through the end of January 2021, offering whimsical, snow-themed events for the family. Recurring weekly on Sunday, Friday and Saturday every week during the winter months, Sno-Port is bound to be frigid fun for all.

The 2020 theme for Sno-Port is “Icicle Forest” and will feature some of the same favorites from last year, along with a few exciting new surprises. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 12-5 p.m. on Sundays.

“If ever there was a special exhibit designed for families to engage with each other, Sno-Port is it,” said Ian Summers, Sci-Port’s director of marketing. “It’s a learning experience set within a fun, winter-themed setting that allows everyone to explore our world through the magic and season of winter.”

Sno-Port’s debut in 2019 was a major hit for area locals, bringing in over 16,000 visitors. This STEM-based exhibit was created by local engineers and artists and grew into an annual event for Shreveport-Bossier.

The “Icicle Forest” will feature interactive learning activities, including “Ice Fishing,” “Igloo Brick Building Gallery,” “Make-A-Flake” and “Snowball Castle.” Ice Fishing allows kids to grab a pole and fish an animated ice pond with virtual reality fish, while Make a Flake encourages guests to create a unique, one-of-a-kind snowflake to hang from the ceiling alongside hundreds of others. Snowball Castle involves throwing faux snowballs into the castle’s windows to set off a series of bells.

New activities will include the actual “Icicle Forest,” which lets visitors light up a tree using tactile and non-tactile interaction. “Snow-mazing” is an exciting walk-through maze, while “Let It Blow” is a kinetic energydriven activity. With 11 interactive activities total, this wintry attraction guarantees fun for the whole family.

Sno-Port mixes fun with education. “Ideally, we want to increase the love of learning about science and our world and hopefully influence young people to become more interested in professions in science,” Summers said.

According to Summers, this year’s exhibit has expanded by about 2,000 square feet and will have new activities to catch the interest of teenagers yet is still designed with all ages in mind.

Last year, Sno-Port saw over 16,000 guests from around the globe between Thanksgiving weekend and the end of January. Yet, according to Summers, despite the high number of attendees and traffic, it never felt crowded. “We spoke to families from all over the U.S., Great Britain, the Netherlands, Russia and even South Africa that thoroughly enjoyed the experience,” Summers said. “Sno-Port proved to be a successful revenuegenerating program for Sci-Port.”

“We are so excited to be offering the second round of Sno-Port experiences,” stated Sci-Port Executive Director Dianne Clark in a recent press release. “The staff and design team members have spent this last year creating a unique winter wonderland experience for visitors of all ages. Ever mindful of our mission, we have created experiences that provide scientific-based activities in a fun and safe learning environment.”

Outside of the Sno-Port exhibit itself, Sci-Port will be featuring other winterthemed activities during the weekend hours.

COVID-19 regulations will be securely in place for staff and all guests’ safety, including compliance practice with mandatory temperature checks, required mask use for ages 8 and older, and social distancing. Multiple hand sanitizing stations will also be available for use throughout the facility at all times.

Local families should come out for a good time, a fun learning experience, and support local. All revenue raised through Sno-Port directly impacts Sci-Port’s operating budget. “Most of the funding that Sci-Port receives are solicited funds for a specific program or grant,” Summers said. “Having an unsolicited revenue source like Sno-Port ensures that we can keep Sci-Port open and available for everyone’s enjoyment.”

Sno-Port is priced separately from Sci- Port’s general admission and is in the graph to the left. Combo packages are available.

Group pricing is available for groups of more than 10. For more information, visit the Sno-Port Facebook event page or Sci- Port Discovery Center’s website at www.sciport.org. Tickets available now!