MIT Friday After Thanksgiving Chain Reaction

For more than 20 years, the MIT Museum has hosted the Friday After Thanksgiving (F.A.T.) Chain Reaction, a wild and whimsical feat of community engineering. This F.A.T. will be the last F.A.T., so come to the grand finale and help make this the biggest, fattest F.A.T. ever!

Event Schedule

• 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Teams arrive and check in
• 1:00 p.m. Doors open to spectators
• 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Activities
• 1:15 p.m. Artist/engineer Arthur Ganson interviews teams
• 3:30 p.m. Chain Reaction Begins

During the weeks before the event, students, families, and adults form teams and build contraptions that serve as links in the final chain. On November 29, the links will be connected to trigger a spectacular chain reaction. Once again, artist/engineer Arthur Ganson will be our host.

Location: Rockwell Gymnasium at MIT, 120 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139.

Spectators:

• Save by registering in advance! 
• Adults ages 18 and up: $13.50 with pre-registration. $16 at the door.
• Students, MIT ID holders, military, and seniors: $5.00 with pre-registration. $7.50 at the door.
• Children under 5: Free
• All tickets to F.A.T. are also valid for same-day MIT Museum admission!
• Pre-register to attend by 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 28

Builders:

• Pre-registration required (Closes at 5 p.m. Nov. 28).
• Team of up to 4 members: $16
• Additional team members (maximum of 8): $5 per person
• Adult chaperones, family members, and guests of team must pay spectator rates.
• Register your team

Teams bring pre-constructed links to F.A.T. There is not an option to construct a link at the event. View building guidelines (PDF)

Need help building your contraption? Stop by one of our Chain Reaction Contraption Construction Help Sessions!