Beakerhead is back — and there's a 4,000 kilogram robot in this year's festival

Calgary's mash-up festival of arts, sciences, technology, engineering and math restarted this past weekend.

The annual Beakerhead festival made its return to the city this year — and for the first time, they're teaming up with Calgary's science centre.

More than 100 presenters, including engineers, artists, scientists, mathematicians, students and academics, have come together to create the experiences that this year's festival will showcase.

"It's the first time a lot of these individuals have been able to play in the same sandbox to create an experience for all of Calgary to celebrate what makes us vital, unique, creative and different," said Parker Chapple, the executive director with Beakerhead.

"Creativity provides a venue to a conversation which can sometimes be very intimidating to various parts of the community," they said.

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This year's festival includes events in several areas of the city and installations at Century Gardens in downtown — and will also see Mayor Jyoti Gondek piloting an experimental robot.

Chapple said Beakerhead builds enthusiasm for science and the arts, by mashing them together.

Fans piling into a voicebooth can talk about what makes this festival so special, while also watching painters create works of art, or catch a glimpse of a giant mech suit outside.

Steve Klintberg Nagy helped put together some of the programming through Rockethouse Productions and says it's a delight to bring Beakerhead back in full form.

"It brings out the creativity in anyone at any time. Beakerhead is the best of Calgary, it is the potential of Calgary actualized," said Nagy.

Anyone can check out Beakerhead at Century Gardens through Sunday, with several other showcases happening right next to the park.