Come one, come all to play games and to win prizes under Cy’s Big Top at this year’s Veishea celebration.

Cy’s Big Top tent will be set up on Central Campus in front of Curtiss Hall for all to visit on Saturday, April 20. Under the tent will be games and activities provided by campus organizations for community children to participate in on parade day.

“It’s something for the Ames community to come out and get involved with,” said Amber Wiebbecke, Veishea Village co-chairwoman. “Plus, it’s for the kids to have fun.”

About 25 to 30 different organizations will provide games and activities. Tickets to participate in the games are 25 cents each with 80 percent of the proceeds going back to the organizations.

Cy’s Big Top also allows student organizations to not only provide activities for the kids, but also to have an open house for their individual groups. Organization displays may include ways to get involved and other activities sponsored by the group.

One of the various activities under the big top will allow kids to make Gak. Gak has been sold commercially in stores, but the Women in Science and Engineering student organization found the recipe and saw it as a perfect fit for a hands-on experience with science for kids.

Gak is a gooey, elastic material that is easy to make, said Amy Radermacher, Veishea chairwoman for Women in Science and Engineering.

“We wanted to find something that was simple, but demonstrated basic chemistry,” Radermacher said.

This is the first Veishea that WiSE has participated in since becoming a student organization in Fall 2001.

“We really want to get the local community and kids – especially girls – interested in science and engineering,” Radermacher said. “We hope that this will help get out name out in the community.”

WiSE will also be selling cookies at its display with half of their proceeds going to the Ames Food Drive.

“We are a volunteer organization and this is one way we could give back to the community,” Radermacher said. “We’re here for the students, but we’re also here for the community.”