EarthFest 2024, the festival of earth science, is taking place on Saturday at Tūhura Otago Museum.
The festival, hosted alongside the Geoscience Society of New Zealand's Annual Conference, will feature a range of free interactive exhibits, public talks and demonstrations.
EarthFest organising committee member Dr Sophie Briggs said this was the first time the event was taking place in Dunedin.
The inaugural EarthFest last year in Lower Hutt alongside the society’s annual conference was "a big success".
"So we decided to make it an annual event.
"It is a chance for members of the public, especially young people, to engage with the earth sciences and to meet people working in the many different fields of the earth sciences.
For younger visitors, hands-on activities will include constructing continents, learning about magnetism and experimenting with how buildings are affected by earthquakes.
Dunedin’s natural heritage will be explored, allowing people to gain a deeper understanding of how the ground beneath us influences building and infrastructure decisions.
The history of Antarctic oceans will be revealed, including how tiny fossils can answer questions about what the continent looked like millions of years ago.
Geological visualisation will come to life with mixed reality goggles, allowing participants to explore the subsurface in three dimensions.
Visitors can also learn about gold panning and discover the skills behind this historic practice.
The event was a chance to inspire young people about earth science.
