2020 NORTH CAROLINA GRAVITY GAMES

The 2020 Gravity Games Are Coming

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4 April 2020

7:00am until 3:00pm

Teams of NC students

Competing head to head

Downtown Lenoir, NC

Running West to East on Ashe Ave.

NORTH CAROLINA GRAVITY GAMES

NORTH CAROLINA GRAVITY GAMES

The Gravity Games are an opportunity for students to engage with STEM in a fun and hands-on way, as they design and build gravity-powered cars, then race them through the streets of Lenoir. Teams from schools, Scout Troops, and Boys & Girls Clubs across the state use their engineering skills to build the fastest and coolest cars.

NC Gravity Games is a signature event of the NC Science Festival. Sponsors include Google, Appalachian State University, the University of North Carolina and the City of Lenoir. 

For more information about the NC Gravity Games, please email contact@ncgravitygames.com. 

  • Event date: April 4, 2020
  • Event time: TBD
  • Admission/Registration: FREE!
  • Venue: Downtown Lenoir

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the NC Gravity Games?

The NC Gravity Games competition sponsored by Google, Appalachian State University, the University of North Carolina and the City of Lenoir. The NC Gravity Games are an educational, hands-on activity designed to get young people excited about science. The NC Gravity Games are a signature event of the North Carolina Science Festival, a multi-day celebration highlighting the educational, cultural and financial impact of science in our state.

Who participates in the NC Gravity Games?

The NC Gravity Games are always looking for the best, brightest and speediest engineering minds in the state. More than 30 teams of middle and high school students have participated in past events. Adults can also participate in the “open” race category.

How can I help support the NC Gravity Games?

Encourage students in your class to compete in the NC Gravity Games. If you’ve never participated before or want to make the jump up to the engineering division, consider applying for funds from the NC Science Festival to help cover the cost of materials and transportation. 


This exciting event is a way students can take the concepts they learn inside the classroom and apply them in a fun way. What other advanced engineering challenge involves zooming at top speeds through downtown streets?

More FAQs >>
NC Gravity Games
“Since our first event in 2011, hundreds of students have honed their STEM skills and chalked up incredible experiences at the NC Gravity Games.”

Enoch Moeller

“The games have attracted more than 200 teams from every corner of the state -- and 2016 promises to be among the biggest yet.”

NC Gravity Games Team

“The OMS Gravity Games experience was a unique opportunity for our son, William, to learn practical applications of science and math in making his team's car.”

Parent Margaret Hurt

“We got to learn how to use new tools when we built the car. We had lots of troubleshooting. If we messed something up, we had to figure out how to redo it.”

Seventh-grade student Julian Swoap

Sponsored by

Appalachian State University
Google
NC Science Festival
City of Lenoir, NC
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center
Queen City
NC Space Grant