2026 State Science & Engineering Fair Details
The Minnesota State Science and Engineering Fair will take place on Thursday, April 1, 2027 at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in the St. Paul RiverCentre.
Important Dates
TBD: Registration Editing Deadline
All changes to registration information including links to video presentations must be finalized by 11:00pm
TBD: Registration Payment Deadline
Thursday, April 1, 2027: In Person State Science Fair
2027 Science Fair will take place at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium from 8:00 am- 6:30 pm, culminating in an in-person Special Awards Ceremony. All participants are required to attend in-person to compete.
Sunday, April 4, 2027: Virtual Awards Ceremony
The virtual awards ceremony will be held via Zoom on Sunday, April 4 at 2:00PM. A link will be posted here, and sent to participants, closer to the date.
Getting Registered
All student participants will need to be registered in the zFairs platform. This will be done one of two ways:
If your regional fair DOES use zFairs:
You will receive a welcome email saying that you have been promoted.
Using the same login info you used with your regional fair, log into zFairs. Do not create a new zFairs account for the State Science Fair.
Answer the questions on the “Additional Questions” tab.
Add any additional information if prompted. This account already has your video and all your paperwork you submitted to regionals.
If your regional fair DOES NOT use zFairs:
You will need to create a zFairs account.
Go to Create Account → Student.
Answer all of the questions.
Once you submit your registration, you will receive a confirmation email that you are registered.
State Science Fair Deadlines by Region
All participants must have logged into zFairs by 11:00PM of their regional registration deadline listed below:
TBD - Northeast Region
TBD - Northern Region
TBD - Rochester Region
March 5, 2027 - Southern Region
March 7, 2027 - Twin Cities Region
TBD - Western Region
Registration Fees
TBD
Refunds
TBD
Scholarships
Scholarships to cover the State Science & Engineering Fair registration fee are available! You must contact your regional director to inquire about this option.
Project Presentation Guidelines
Participants will submit a project presentation video and other materials during registration in zFairs. These online submissions will be available to judges along with in-person presentation materials to score for each project. Some of the sponsored awards are only judged virtually and rely on your virtual presentation to determine winners.
Please click on the guidelines link below to access a full summary of the presentation guidelines for 2026.
For the 2026 SSEF, students now have two options for their in-person display board. Students may choose either a single-panel poster board (up to 24” wide x 36” high x 3/16” thick) for a printed quad chart display, or a tri-fold board (up to 48” wide x 58” high), which may be reused from a regional fair. Both formats are equally acceptable and must follow all display and safety guidelines.
Option 1: Single-Panel Poster Board (Quad Chart Style)
Poster board size: 24” wide x 36” high x 3/16” thick
Designed to display up to six 8.5” x 11” quad chart pages
Mounted vertically in portrait orientation
Poster stands provided (only fit 3/16” thick boards)
Option 2: Standard Tri-Fold Presentation Board
Poster board size: 48” wide x 58” high
Max Height: 240 cm (94”) from floor to top - or 149 cm (58”) from table
You may reuse your tri-fold from a regional fair or create a new one.
For any questions regarding presentation guidelines contact us at sciencefair@mnmas.org
State Science Fair Schedule
This schedule may be subject to slight changes. Please refer back as we get closer to event to confirm official times.
Thursday, April 1, 2027
State Science Fair at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium
Sunday, April 4, 2027
2:00 pm | Virtual Awards Ceremony
Awards ceremony will be held, virtually on Sunday, April 4 at 2:00PM. Grand and Special Awards will be presented.
Zoom link: TBD
Planning What to Wear & What to Bring to the State Science Fair
What to Wear
Student dress should be neat and clean, but there is no “right” outfit. We ask that students come ready to present and put their best foot forward, but that does not mean you must wear a suit or dress. Consider what you might wear if you were to attend a job interview. Below are some ideas of what appropriate Science Fair attire may look like.
Tops: Button-downs, collared shirts, or blouses are a great choices, either short-sleeved or long-sleeved. You can add a jacket or blazer over your top of choice for added dressiness. Avoid cotton t-shirts or tops with large-printed graphics or slogans.
Bottoms: Pants like slacks or dress pants are great choices. Flowey skirts and pencil skirts are acceptable as well.
Comfortable shoes: Make sure that you wear comfortable shoes, as you will be on your feet for the majority of the day.
What to Bring
We are so glad you will be joining us for the State Science Fair! Below is a list of items that you should plan to bring with you to have the best experience possible.
Water bottle
Small snack for yourself
In-person presentation materials:
Presentation board
Paperwork to display- Abstract, Form 1C, and Form 7(s) (as applies)
Presentation binder (optional)
Model (optional)
Accessibility and SSEF
The Minnesota Academy of Science is committed to removing barriers and limitations in all that we do. MAS embraces the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in our commitment to ensuring that all members of our community can participate as fully as possible in our events, programs and communications. We are continually working to improve our program experience for everyone, and applying the relevant accessibility standards.
If you have accessibility needs, questions or requests, please contact us:
Email: sciencefair@mnmas.org
Please contact sciencefair@mnmas.org with any questions.
