SURF celebrates Dark Matter Day on Halloween with annual Trunk or Treat
Join the fun at the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center for Trunk-or-Treating and special dark matter science learning activities.
SURF’s annual Dark Matter Day celebration will take place from 4:30–6:30 p.m., on Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center in Lead. Events will include a Halloween Trunk or Treat in the visitor center parking lot with Dark Matter Day learning activities inside for kids of all ages.
The whole family is welcome to join the Dark Matter Day and Trunk or Treat activities at SURF each year.
Photo by Stephen Kenny
SURF is home to the world’s leading dark matter experiment, the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ). The recent announcement by the experiment of a particle interaction that could be interpreted as a signal from WIMPs, a dark matter candidate adds to the excitement surrounding the annual celebration which drew more than 580 people last year.
The Trunk or Treat includes businesses and organizations in Lead and Deadwood with candy for trick-or-treaters. Free hot chocolate, cider, and popcorn will be available inside the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center along with Dark Matter Day themed activities from coloring worksheets to an LZ themed video game built by the very scientists who work on the experiment at SURF.
Since 2017, more than 350 global, regional, and local Dark Matter Day events have been held on and around October 31 by institutions and individuals looking to engage the public in discussions about what we already know about dark matter and the many experiments seeking to solve its mysteries.
Dark Matter learning is year-round at SURF
The curiosity continues beyond Halloween and Dark Matter Day. SURF’s education team reaches 22,000 students with hands-on STEM learning activities each year—this includes activities and lessons centered around the search for dark matter. Information on how to access k-12 resources can be found here: https://sanfordlab.org/education/resources
Join SURF October 31 from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center for a safe, family friendly event celebrating Halloween and Dark Matter Day.
