Science and horror will combine in new ways for this year’s STEMfest.

STEMfest, which was created by STEAM Outreach Director Patricia Sievert, is projected to have an even bigger turnout than last year’s 5,200 attendees. Exhibits like the robotics challenges, laser lab and the haunted physics lab will return this year.

“We do a lot of different things to bring STEM literacy to the public… This year we have Kat Falls coming. She is the author of ‘Dark Life,’ ‘Inhuman’ and ‘Riptide,’” said Gillian King-Cargile, STEM outreach communications coordinator.

Judith Dymond, STEM outreach and engagement associate, said the departments and organizations that exhibit at the festival always come with something new and exciting.

“It’s a fantastic day of family-friendly, hands-on explorations in science, technology, engineering and math,” Sievert said.

This year, the organizers are bringing in regional professionals from 3M, the Midwest Museum of Natural History and possibly Fermilab. Rapid Directions, a company that specializes in making 3-D printers, will also be at the festival to showcase and demonstrate their products.

“My favorite aspect [of STEMfest] is seeing how excited the kids and adults get when they get in there and get their hands on things to try them out,” Sievert said. “There will be a lot of people who come who might not even know what the acronym STEM stands for, but somehow they hear about the fest and attend, then they get very excited about what they see. That is my favorite part of STEMfest.”

Students can go to the fest to see what others in their fields may be doing or to market themselves.

“It’s a great opportunity to find out about a lot of different careers and directions students might go, and the kinds of things you might do in some of these fields,” Dymond said.

King-Cargile said students don’t have to be in the STEM program to learn from STEMfest or have a good time there.

“I heard there was a haunted lab and that sounds really cool. I am very excited for that,” said Blexendi Vixama, senior health science major.

During the haunted physics lab, attendees can make visible their invisible ink paintings, levitiate objects and more.

“Even if you’re not an engineer you’re going to have a good time because there is so much to see and do,” King-Cargile said.