Apricot STEM Fair hightlights natural science, artificial intelligence

Science meets apricots at Los Altos History Museum’s Apricot STEM Fair on Sunday, June 28.

Designed for all ages, the fair features activities and games rooted in science, technology, engineering, and math—from discovering native plants to extracting DNA from apricots and exploring robotics. Dave’s Backyard Bees will showcase a buzzworthy beehive display, and Explorabox and the Kiwanis Club of Los Altos will present activities based on the theme “Intelligence: Artificial and Natural,” including designing a new kind of fruit and writing secret messages using binary code.

Books will be available for checkout from Los Altos Library’s Go Go Biblio, and local author Robin Chapman will give a talk on her book “California Apricots: The Lost Orchards of Silicon Valley,” followed by a book signing. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

The fair is set for 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Admission is $10, with free entry for museum members and children ages 12 and younger. For more information, visit losaltoshistory.org/ApricotSTEM2026.

Peninsula Family Service has been named Best Nonprofit Group in the San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce’s Best of San Mateo Awards. Winners were chosen by community members across San Mateo County, who cast more than 34,000 votes for their favorite local businesses and organizations.

Peninsula Family Service was also among the Top 5 in four additional categories: Best Age-Friendly Business, Best Preschool, Business Demonstrating Outstanding Community Involvement and Best Thrift Shop, the latter for the nonprofit’s Family Tree Thrift Shop.

The nonprofit provides early childhood education, childcare programs, financial empowerment services and older adult programs to individuals and families in San Mateo County.

“This award reflects the trust, partnership and support of the community we have served for more than 76 years,” Peninsula Family Service CEO Heather Cleary wrote in an email.