Get Ready! January FLL Explore Festivals Announced
NorCal FLL Explore Community
Hi all,
I’m very excited to announce two upcoming NorCal FLL Explore Festivals in January!
NorCal FLL-E Festival — Sunday, January 11 — Santa Cruz (Dream Inn)
NorCal FLL-E Festival — Saturday, January 24 — Folsom (Folsom Lake College)
Registration for both events will open on Monday, December 15, at 7:00 PM.
🌊 About the Santa Cruz Festival (Jan 11)
Our wonderful partners at the Dream Inn are once again offering us an incredible venue — their conference room right on the beach! January weather in Santa Cruz is usually beautiful, making this a memorable experience for the whole family.
🤖 About the Folsom Festival (Jan 24)
This event coincides with Folsom Lake College hosting the NorCal FTC Qualifier. It’s a fantastic opportunity for Explore teams to see older students in action and get a glimpse of what’s ahead in the FIRST pathway.
The FTC “Qualifier” is a full-day robotics competition featuring robot inspections, qualifying matches, semifinals, finals, and awards. It’s fast-paced, inspiring, and truly exciting to watch — especially for younger students just starting their robotics journey.
📅 About Registration & Waves
To ensure fairness and accommodate as many teams as possible, we use a Wave (session) structure for all festivals.
Wave / Session Times:
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Morning Wave: 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
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Midday Wave: 10:15 AM – 12:15 PM
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Afternoon Wave: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
How registration works:
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Wave 1 (Midday Wave: 10:15 AM – 12:15 PM) will open first.
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Once Wave 1 fills, we will open additional Waves (Morning or Afternoon).
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Each Wave requires a minimum of four teams to run.
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All registration is first-come, first-served.
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More Waves will be added as needed based on demand.
This format keeps festivals smooth and manageable while ensuring that every team who wants to participate gets an opportunity.
📘 Resources for Rookie Teams
If you’re new to FLL Explore, this short webinar provides a great overview of what festivals look like and what to expect:
Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19LMCO9_F6QFNSvDv0tsiSTnU60QEYVQY/view
Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14nJWD59fk1nbHjtwTLlGFUaEsu_N9uvN/view
As always, if you have any questions or run into any issues, please feel free to email me.
Thanks,
Rossi
NorCal FLL Explore Coordinator
Anjelika
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NorCal FLL Explore Community
Hi Anjelica,
Yes, our events are open to the general public — all FLL Explore Festivals are. We would be delighted to have you join us!
Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you there.
Rossi
Anjelika
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/norcalflljr/7e3169be-0ed5-4c8c-862e-c8b1af5125a0n%40googlegroups.com.