Special Events
Participating in international, national and local events allows UGA Aquarium to reach out to the community in fun and creative ways.
UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium regularly hosts special events on site or out and about along the Georgia coast. Extension staff participate in these family-oriented events to raise awareness about marine life and global issues surrounding water quality and marine debris.
Check our Events Calendar for more details or contact Public Programs Coordinator Kayla Clark at 912-598-3345 or kayla270@uga.edu.
Super Museum Sunday — February
Every year, over 40 cultural institutions throughout coastal Georgia participate in the Georgia Historical Society’s Super Museum Sunday.
Georgians and visitors alike are invited to experience the rich history and cultural life found in Georgia as historic sites, house museums, art museums and other sites in Savannah and coastal Georgia open their doors to the public, providing an excellent opportunity to visit and experience the history in their own backyard.
The UGA Aquarium is open to the public during this event.
Earth Day — April 22
Earth Day is an annual day on which events are held worldwide to increase awareness and appreciation of the Earth’s natural environment.
Each year in the spring, the Savannah Chatham Sustainability Coalition and our local community gather in a city park to become the nucleus of the city’s green initiatives. It is a is a celebration of environmentally responsible people and business in coastal Georgia.
The Savannah Earth Day Festival serves as an important opportunity for local government, businesses, non-profits, and community groups to connect with the public and each other. It is the City’s largest environmental outreach event of the year and the largest educational Earth Day event in the state of Georgia.
This event is made free to the public, with generous support from The City of Savannah’s Sustainability Department, these community leaders and people like you!
World Oceans Day — June 8
The UGA Aquarium celebrates World Oceans Day annually. This international celebration is on June 8 each year. Please check with us about any special events going on at the aquarium this day.
National Estuaries Day — Last Saturday in September
National Estuaries Day is an annual celebration of estuaries, the vibrant coastal areas where rivers meet the sea. Celebrated on the last Saturday in September, National Estuaries Day is an excellent opportunity to learn more about these magical ecosystems and how you can help protect them.
National Estuaries Day was established in 1988 as part of Coastweeks and serves as the inspiration for all those who love and care for our nation’s estuaries. The purpose of this day is to promote the importance of estuaries and why we need to protect them, as well as serving as the occasion for a public-awareness campaign to inform people from coast to coast about their connection to these beautiful places.
Come learn about Georgia’s unique and expansive estuaries at the UGA Aquarium. Interact with coastal critters in our touch tank, see Rider the loggerhead sea turtle and take a walk along the Jay Wolf Nature Trail.
CoastFest — First Saturday in October
UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant participate in CoastFest in Brunswick, Ga., every first Saturday in October.
This free, family-oriented educational festival is Georgia’s largest outdoor festival celebrating our state’s coastal, environmental, historical and cultural resources. Over 9,000 excited visitors enjoy interactive exhibits and activity areas provided by 80-plus local, regional, state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations and institutions of higher learning.
Touch tanks with live coastal animals, educational information, games and activities for the whole family are just part of our offerings.
Skidaway Marine Science Day — October
Skidaway Marine Science Day is held annually each October. This campus-wide open house offers activities geared for all ages. Programs, tours, displays and hands-on activities, primarily related to marine science and the coastal environment, are all part of the day’s educational fun.
Open to the public at no charge, the event is presented by UGA’s Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium, UGA’s Shellfish Research Laboratory and Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary.
The Skidaway Institute of Oceanography offers a wide variety of activities for both adults and children, including tours of the R/V Savannah and smaller research vessels, science displays, talks about current research programs and hands-on activities.
UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium is open to visitors during this event, with no admission fee. In addition, the aquarium education staff offers interactive reptile displays, touch tanks, microscope fun and behind-the-scenes peeks of the aquarium.