Free public festival coming to Southampton Coliseum from September 9 to 11
Robots that can open doors, weed fields, or beat you at Connect 4.
Virtual reality headsets that take you on a spacewalk outside the International Space Station or into the middle of a Cirque du Soleil show.
The latest in electric vehicles. Engaging holograms that surprise and delight.
Experience these new technologies and more at SWERVE, a free public festival running from September 9 to 11 at the Southampton Coliseum, where visitors can get a hands-on feel for how we will live and work in the future.
Created by the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII), SWERVE will take place over three days at the Southampton Coliseum in Saugeen Shores, Ontario:
Friday, September 9 from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Saturday, September 10 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday, September 11 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
The event will bring new experiences to people of all ages: Immerse yourself through virtual reality in a farm of the future or put yourself right inside the human body. Watch a Boston Dynamics Spot robot “dog” go for a walk—and to work. Learn how you can make hydrogen power or let your body “feel” how medical isotopes work.
Younger children will enjoy the NII ExploreZone, where they can code robots, use a laser cutter to design their own toy to take home or jump into STEM challenges led by NII Explore’s high-energy instructors. In the Esports Arcade, guests can recline on couches to play a round with friends—or compete in a video game tournament to win amazing prizes.
But the fun isn’t limited to inside the Coliseum—pop out to the Drive the Future showroom and choose from a selection of electric vehicles to take for a test drive around Southampton. Outside, guests can also take a quick break and grab a bite from a favourite local food truck—before heading back in for more fun.
“To swerve is to change direction—it’s a conscious act of innovation and it’s what the world needs now as we grapple with the need to change how we make things, how we produce food, use energy, and travel from place to place,” said Bruce Wallace, NII President and CEO. “That’s the spirit SWERVE will capture.”
A first-of-its-kind event, SWERVE is supported by NII’s Founding Members and other partners committed to bringing unique STEM opportunities to Bruce, Grey and Huron counties.
Stay tuned for partnership announcements, contest announcements and more in the coming weeks leading up to the event—follow along at nii.ca/swerve, on Instagram @NIIExplore and Facebook @OntarioNII.
Collect stamps to win!
With the 2022 NII ExploreZone Passport, kids and teens can collect stamps by participating in Science in the Summer activities—for a chance to win amazing tech prizes at the SWERVE event!
Here’s how:
Visit the NII Explore Science in the Summer booth to get a passport (check out the full list of events at niiexplore.ca).
After students complete one of NII Explore’s five (5) STEM activities throughout the summer, they will get a stamp on their passport for each.
Students can bring their passports to SWERVE, where they can collect any stamps they’re missing and get their final SWERVE stamp—and will be entered to win fantastic tech prizes!