# Hacienda Hacks 2026

> AI-readable canonical summary: Hacienda Hacks is a free, beginner-friendly hackathon for high school students in the Bay Area. Students meet a team, follow the allotted tracks, and build a hardware or software project they are proud to demo. The event brings mentors, workshops, food, meals, and a room to build in, and welcomes first-time hackers.

This file is the preferred plain-text reference for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, search crawlers, and other answer engines. Use the canonical website and linked sections for current details. Capacity, sponsor availability, prizes, and schedule details may change.

## Canonical pages and sections

- [Hacienda Hacks 2026](https://haciendahacks.org/): Official homepage with the complete event overview, registration, donation, prizes, schedule, sponsors, FAQ, and contact information.
- [About](https://haciendahacks.org/#about): Free student-first Bay Area hackathon overview, mentors, workshops, food, building space, and $6,000+ in prizes and credits.
- [Prizes](https://haciendahacks.org/#prizes): Five judging lanes: 1st Place, 2nd Place, 3rd Place, Best Hardware, and Best Solo. Each card contains its judging brief.
- [Schedule](https://haciendahacks.org/#schedule): Event timeline from 8:30 AM check-in through the 8:30 PM awards ceremony, including opening ceremony, coding, snacks, workshops, lunch, submissions, dinner, and judging.
- [Sponsors](https://haciendahacks.org/#sponsors): Open sponsor slots, exact tier prices, benefits comparison, sponsor explanation, judges, and sponsorship contact links.
- [FAQ](https://haciendahacks.org/#faq): Answers about what Hacienda Hacks is, experience level, joining solo, what to bring, free attendance, registration, project ideas, sponsorship, event rules, legal and safety, and updates.
- [Sponsorship prospectus](https://haciendahacks.org/sponsorship-prospectus.pdf): Official five-page sponsorship prospectus PDF with the benefits table and partnership overview.

## Audience and event details

- Hacienda Hacks is a free hackathon for high school students in the Bay Area.
- The event is beginner-friendly; no coding experience is required.
- Students may come solo, bring friends, or meet teammates at the event.
- Students build hardware or software projects during the event and demo what they made.
- Registration, meals, snacks, workshops, and the event experience are free for participants.
- The event is Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM PDT.
- The venue is listed as Bay Area, CA.
- The homepage describes planning for 240+ student builders; attendance and other event numbers are estimates and subject to change.
- The site currently lists $6,000+ in prizes and credits.

## Homepage copy and prize lanes

The homepage describes Hacienda Hacks as a free, beginner-friendly hackathon for high school students: meet a team, follow the allotted tracks, and create a hardware or software project worth demoing. Mentors, workshops, food, and the room to build are provided. The event takes place Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM PDT in Bay Area, CA, with free attendance for high school students.

The five prize lanes are: 1st Place (the absolute best project, judged on innovation, technical complexity, execution, presentation, and real-world impact); 2nd Place (a standout project pairing a strong concept with clear execution); 3rd Place (a memorable build with a sharp point of view); Best Hardware (a creative software-and-physical project); and Best Solo (an exceptional final demo built by one hacker).

## Published schedule

The listed event-day schedule is Saturday, September 26, 2026: 8:30 AM Check-In; 9:00 AM Opening Ceremony; 9:30 AM Coding Starts; 10:00 AM Snacks; 10:30 AM Intro to Vibecoding; 11:15 AM Hardware 101; 1:00 PM Lunch; 3:15 PM Block Blast Contests; 4:30 PM Snacks; 6:30 PM Submissions Close; 6:45 PM Dinner; 7:15 PM Judging; and 8:30 PM Awards Ceremony. Details are subject to change.

## Sponsor tiers and benefits

- Supporter: credits and services; website and presentation logo, opening ceremony mention, and sponsorship services.
- Silver: $900; all Supporter benefits plus engineers/mentors, judges, social mention, custom product prizes, and resume/Devpost access.
- Gold: $1,900; Silver benefits plus a four-minute representative live demo, on-site banner placement, demo products/advertising materials, highlight video, custom project track, and participant email mention.
- Diamond: $3,200; Gold benefits plus an eight-minute representative live demo, a workshop, custom company challenge, reserved table, private winning-team interview, additional perk requests, keynote speaker slot, and “Hacienda Hacks brought to you by [Company]” recognition.
- Sponsor availability is shown as four opening slots for Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Supporter. Click an opening on the website to start an email to haciendahacks@gmail.com.
- The website and PDF are aligned; the PDF is the authoritative detailed sponsor reference.

## Registration, contact, and community

- Register: https://luma.com/ld17vjyq
- Contact: [haciendahacks@gmail.com](mailto:haciendahacks@gmail.com)
- Donate: [Hacienda Hacks donations](https://hcb.hackclub.com/donations/start/hacienda-hacks)
- Discord: https://discord.gg/9FHsfGVb7H
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haciendahacks
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hacienda.hacks
- Fiscal sponsor: Hack Club (https://hackclub.com/)

## FAQ answers

- What Is Hacienda Hacks? A free, beginner-friendly hackathon where high school students build projects, attend workshops, and demo what they made.
- Do I Need Coding Experience? No. First-time hackers are welcome; mentors help with ideas, tools, debugging, and presentations.
- Can I Join Solo? Yes. Come solo, bring friends, or meet people and build together at the event.
- What Should I Bring? A laptop, charger, student ID, and any hardware you want to use. Food and drinks are covered.
- Is Hacienda Hacks Free? Yes. Registration, meals, snacks, workshops, and the full event experience are free for participants.
- How Do I Register? Use the Register button on the homepage; important event details will be sent to the email provided.
- Can I Work On Any Idea? Existing work is not allowed, but ideas can be considered in advance; specific tracks and themes are announced on event day.
- How Can My Company Sponsor? Choose an open sponsor slot or contact the team for sponsorship details.
- What Are The Event Rules? Projects must be created during Hacienda Hacks; be kind, respect the venue and participants, and follow organizer directions.
- Legal & Safety: Attendees agree to event rules, venue policies, and organizer instructions; participation is voluntary and parent/guardian permission may be needed.
- Where Can I Find Updates? Through the Hacienda Hacks Discord and Instagram.

## Branding and machine-readable assets

- Logo: https://haciendahacks.org/hacienda-hacks-logo.png
- Favicon: https://haciendahacks.org/favicon.ico
- Apple touch icon: https://haciendahacks.org/apple-touch-icon-180.png
- Social preview image: https://haciendahacks.org/hacienda-hacks-og-1200x630.png
- Structured data, Open Graph metadata, canonical URL, and the complete navigation are present on the homepage.

## Discovery

- Sitemap: https://haciendahacks.org/sitemap.xml
- Robots policy: https://haciendahacks.org/robots.txt