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For most of the year, the Science Center in downtown Des Moines is packed with busloads of children chaotically roaming the halls, but for one night a month it has a different atmosphere. On the third Friday of every month, the Science Center caters to its adult demographic by hosting an event called Mixology Night, which combines fun hands-on activities with cocktails and live music.

Beginning in 2010, the Mixology Night was created as an opportunity for adults to experience everything the Science Center has to offer without the hustle and bustle of young children around them, said Colleen Hjort, special events and community engagement coordinator for the Science Center.
“Our mission is to help Iowans with … science learning, and mixology is a great opportunity for us to connect with adults in a fun, new way,” Hjort said.

This event has created not only a fun, educational escape for adults but has also helped to improve the overall popularity of the Science Center. With an average of 500 people in attendance for each event, Mixology Night tends to double and even triple the average attendance for the Science Center overall.

The most popular theme was the Science of Gaming, which brought in more than 1,400 people and offered attractions such as big-screen gaming. Attendees played games such as Mario Cart and Space Invaders on the Imax and Star Theatre domes.

SCI offers an array of themes for each month such as crime scene science, science of a hangover and mess fest. These changing themes keep attendance high and create a new and fun experience not only for new attendees but regulars also. Marketing and Communications Coordinator Emilee Richardson said there are many reasons behind such a high and growing attendance rate.

“The themes are a big reason people come but also being able to do something unique with friends on a Friday night that isn’t just going out to a bar or the movies,” Richardson said. “It’s somewhere you can be active and learn something without feeling like you’re in a classroom.”

Hjort and Richardson meet with other staff members on a board to brainstorm new ideas and events that could be popular for the following years. They also receive ideas from people who attend the events as well as other science centers around the world.

This year they are introducing a new event called “Moon Landing,” which falls exactly one day before the anniversary of the first moon landing, and also another event called “Chem 150” that ties in with the fact that 2019 is the year of the periodic table.

Along with unique themes and hands-on workshops, people also have the opportunity to create their own specialty cocktail. The mixology night offers a limited-space opportunity for people to learn how to make a specialty cocktail from a licensed mixologist. They learn the history behind the drink, its origin and, of course, how to make it. At the end of the night, people get to go home with a buzz and a free cup that bears the Mixology Night logo.

Some come for the alcohol, some come for the science and others come for both. Whatever your motivation, if you are looking for something to do on a Friday night or just want to experience something new, this is a perfect time to be adventurous. For more information on themes, music and drinks, head to sciowa.org to find dates for the rest of the year.