Oct 23–25 · NYC + online · Free

Spooky Civic AI Hackathon

Build AI that helps your neighbors. Open to everyone, in person in NYC or online. Keep this page open all weekend: it has the schedule, setup, how to submit, and where to get help.

Register on Luma Get help on DiscordBuilder guide: pick a problem

When + where

The weekend at a glance

Friday Oct 23

Robotics teams start at 11am. Everyone else can come early too, or just show up at 6pm for the kickoff.

Civic Hall, 124 E 14th St, New York, NY

  1. 10amVolunteers arrive for setup
  2. 11amDoors open: early build startsPhysical AI for Good teams start here with the Viam robot arms and a mentor on site. Any team can come early and get a head start.
  3. 6pmKickoff for everyoneWelcome, the challenge brief, the nonprofit problems, and team matching. If you only come once on Friday, come for this.
  4. 8pmRoom closes

Saturday Oct 24

Civic Hall, 124 E 14th St, New York, NY

  1. 10:30amVolunteers arrive
  2. 11am–5pmBuild day with mentors
  3. 5:30pmRoom clearTeams keep building remotely.
  4. Midnight ETSubmissions closeOnline: repo + demo video + short writeup. Remote and virtual teams compete through the same submission.

Sunday Oct 25

Luma Studios, 307 W 38th St, Studio 1701, New York, NY

  1. 2pmDemo Day opensScience-fair tables. Open to the public, drop in anytime.
  2. ThenTop 5 teams demo on stage4 minutes + 1 minute of Q&A each.
  3. 5pmPrizes + People’s ChoiceVisitors vote for People’s Choice.

Wi-Fi details Posted at the venue

Get ready

What to set up before you build

Before you arrive

Everyone needs these, whatever track you pick.

  • Laptop + charger
  • A GitHub account
  • Pick a track (you can still switch at kickoff)

Viam: Physical AI for Good

Robot arm kits (SO-101) and a Viam mentor are on site. You don’t need to bring any hardware.

  • Make a free account at app.viam.com
  • Skim Viam’s getting-started docs
Viam docs

Tavily: search API

Coming soon

Search API credits for every builder. We’ll post how to claim them here before kickoff.

Vonage

Vonage covers the food all weekend and gives every builder API credits.

Security check before you demo

Keep API keys out of git. Put them in a .env file that's listed in .gitignore, then scan your repo with Gitleaks before you submit:

gitleaks detect --source . -v

If it finds a key, rotate that key with the provider. Deleting it from the file isn't enough, because it's still in your git history.

Due Saturday night, Oct 24, at midnight ET

How to submit

Every team submits online, in person or not. Judges pre-score submissions before Demo Day, and online teams compete this way.

  1. Your repo

    A public GitHub link with a short README.

  2. A demo video

    Show it working. Phone recordings are fine.

  3. A short writeup

    What problem it solves, who it helps, and how you built it.

Submission form Link posted before kickoff

Questions

Good to know

Do I need a team?

No. Come solo and we’ll match you with a team at the 6pm kickoff on Friday.

Can I join online?

Yes. Pick the virtual ticket on Luma, build from anywhere, and submit online by midnight ET Saturday night. Judges score online submissions too.

Is it free?

Yes, it’s free for everyone. Food is on Vonage.

How late does the room stay open?

Friday’s room closes at 8pm and Saturday’s at 5:30pm. Teams keep building remotely until submissions close at midnight ET Saturday.

What are the prizes?

Cash prizes, plus a 1:1 session with a tech recruiter for a fellow on a winning team. Visitors pick People’s Choice on Demo Day.

Can my friends come to Demo Day?

Yes. Demo Day is open to the public. They can grab the free Demo Day guest ticket on the same Luma page and drop in anytime from 2 to 5pm.

The fine print

Be kind, and say if you'd rather skip photos

Code of conduct

Everyone is welcome here. No harassment, no put-downs, and no excluding people. If anything feels off, tell any organizer or volunteer (look for the name tags), or message us on Discord. We'll handle it.

Photos

We take photos and video all weekend. If you'd rather not be in them, grab a no-photo dot sticker for your name tag at check-in and our team will leave you out.

Made possible by

  • Viam

    Robot arm kits and mentors for the Physical AI for Good track.

  • Vonage

    Food all weekend and API credits for every builder.

  • Tavily

    Search API credits for every builder.

Want to help run it? Volunteer at the hackathon.