November 2025
THANKSGIVING HACKATHON
A week to build something you're proud of.
Anything goes. Seriously.
November 2025
A week to build something you're proud of.
Anything goes. Seriously.
Submissions Due
January 27th, 2026
What is this?
This is an open hackathon. If it's software, you can submit it. Games, websites, apps, scripts, tools, art made with code: all fair game.
Work solo or form a team. Use whatever languages, frameworks, or tools you want. Start from scratch or build on something you've been tinkering with (though you should do 98% of the work during the hackathon). The only rule is to ship something by the deadline.
Winners are decided by popular vote across multiple categories and criteria (like creativity, technical difficulty, time spent, etc.). Categories will be announced closer to the end, but expect things like best design, most creative, best use of theme, and more.
01 — Themes
One word. Infinite interpretations.
If you can defend it, you can use it.
Mix & match: Use one theme, combine all four, or anything in between. Your call.
/ˈfraɡmənt/ noun — a small part broken off or separated from something; an isolated or incomplete part.
/θred/ noun — a long thin strand of cotton, nylon, or other fibers; a theme or characteristic running throughout a situation or piece of writing.
/ʃɪft/ noun — a slight change in position, direction, or tendency; a transfer from one place, position, or state to another.
/ˈekō/ noun — a sound caused by the reflection of sound waves from a surface back to the listener; a close parallel or repetition of an idea, feeling, or event.
"We don't define what these mean. You do. A theme about 'light' could be photography, physics, spirituality, or featherweight boxing. Make it yours."
02 — Optional Wildcards
Bonus challenges. More may be added through the event. Mix, twist, or totally ignore them — your move.
A single action must trigger multiple cascading effects.
Something in your project must unpredictably vary each time.
An element must exist in multiple possible, unknown states until interaction.
A moment or action must repeat, but with a twist.
Combine several different pieces into one unified feature.
Something must activate only under a specific or unusual condition.
A process or action must loop back to where it started.
The same content/input must change depending on context.
Include a subtle background behavior that affects something important.
Offer a way to reset or wipe something entirely.
Show or use a previous state/version to contrast with the current one.
Store something early and reveal or use it later.
At least one element must have multiple meanings depending on how it's viewed.
Include a moment where a choice meaningfully changes direction. Like turning left.
Record events and let the history itself influence the project.
Include something that only makes sense later.
03 — Ship It
When you're ready to show the world.
Code, design, create. Use any tools, any language. Solo or team—your call.
Make a webpage showcasing your project. What it does, how it works, and a link or demo. A template is provided in the repository, and can be seen here.
Add your project page to the shared git repository. You can keep editing and improving until the deadline hits.