Science Festival 2026 in Port-Marly (Yvelines): a family-friendly program to discover.

The Science Festival makes its big return in 2026, running from October 2 to 12. To mark the occasion, a wide array of activities and workshops are being organized, notably in Port-Marly in the Yvelines department.

Science Festival 2026 lands in the Yvelines from October 2 to 12, and the towns of Port-Marly and Louveciennes have some wonderful surprises in store. This year, the national theme "Savory Science" sets the tone for an eclectic program that’s open to everyone.

This free event, which has been running since 1991, gives everyone the chance to discover the world of science and meet today's researchers. In these two charming communes of the Yvelines, located in the loop of the Seine near Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the event takes on a particularly convivial dimension.

What’s on for families?

At the Saint-Exupéry Center

An almost perfect recipe
Star chef Majda is in a tailspin…
She’s lost her touch and can’t conjure up her signature dish anymore! It’s a crisis with less than an hour to go, as she prepares to welcome guests arriving from far away—specifically for this famous recipe. Fortunately, her trusted sous-chef is on hand to lend a hand.
Can you beat the clock and pull it off in time?
Eligibility
• Target audiences: 3–6 years, 6–11 years, 11–15 years
• Admission: Free
Hours: Saturday, October 3 — 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Saturday, October 3 — 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM

At Port-Marly Town Hall — Musketeers' Square

Theatre: "The Knock Knock Chef"
Cuisine and magic, chef Toctoc is the apprentice of the great culinary master Gerard Manvussa, famous for his magical recipes that grant powers to those who eat them. Today, a grand jury is invited to his fine-dining restaurant to test his new creations, including the famous “cake that gives the power to fly.” Chef Gerard dreams, with this discovery, of receiving the ultimate prize long coveted by magic cooks: the Golden Toque.
But after tasting one of his recipes, Chef Gerard suddenly becomes completely invisible! Toctoc, a simple, scatterbrained-apprentice, will have to host the Golden Toque jury on his own, prepare the magical dishes, and above all try to win the coveted prize in place of his chef! Absurd dishes, kitchen secrets and culinary escapades loom ahead!
On the menu, the little-known world of liquid magic and food. A recipe that deftly blends theater, interactivity and visual feats.
To be enjoyed by the whole family and without moderation!

Participation guidelines:
• Target audiences: 6–11 years, 11–15 years
• Prerequisites: Reservation recommended
Timings : Wednesday, 7 October – 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Conference: Food and Evolution — Between Constraints and Desires
Since the appearance of the first hominids a few million years ago, our diet has continually evolved—and so have we. As opportunistic omnivores, we have populated virtually every corner of the globe by harvesting and transforming anything that could serve as food, whether animal or plant. From hunter–fisher–gatherers in the Paleolithic, we gradually became agricultural–fishermen–breeders in the Neolithic. Today, while our intensive production systems deliver safe, abundant food, we must face new health challenges (cancer, obesity, diabetes) as well as environmental ones (biodiversity loss, climate change, air/water/soil pollution), pushing us to rethink what we eat.
Between retreat (frugality and raw foods) and an ever-accelerating techno-solutionist path (nutritional pills and ultra-processed products), various scenarios are on the table. Will spirulina, insect proteins, cultured meats, and probiotic-enriched drinks soon join our daily menus? Not necessarily, because humans are a cultural animal, and any new proposal has to clear the hurdle of acceptability—specific to each person!
Christophe Lavelle is a researcher at CNRS and the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris. A nutrition specialist, he teaches at a wide range of universities and schools and regularly gives lectures to the public and to professionals. He is also deputy director of the ALIMENTATION Initiative at Sorbonne University and trains culinary educators at INSPE. He co-signs around a dozen publications

Participation conditions:
• Target audiences: 11–15, 15–18, 18–25, 25 and up
• Requirements: Free admission
Hours: Friday, October 9 — 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

How can you take part in these free events?

All of these activities are free and open to everyone, though some may require a reservation. Iconic venues like the Carré des Mousquetaires, the Pavillon Corot, and the médiathèque provide a prime backdrop for these discoveries. For participants coming from farther away, these Yvelines towns, located near the Palace of Versailles and the Saint-Germain-en-Laye park, are well worth a one-day cultural excursion.