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Feb 24 - March 31, 2026
Project Calico 3.30+ Hackathon: Show Us What You Can Build!
Welcome to the Project Calico 3.30+ Community Hackathon!
Get hands-on with the latest capabilities in Calico 3.30 and 3.31 and show the community what’s possible with modern Kubernetes networking and security.
From staged policies to Goldmane, Whisker, and the Calico Ingress Gateway, this hackathon is your chance to explore new features, build real-world solutions, and showcase your work to Calico maintainers and users worldwide.
What will you build with the next generation of Calico?
The Challenge
What You Can Build
We’re inviting the community to build projects that highlight, extend, or creatively apply features introduced in Calico 3.30 and 3.31.
Some inspiration to get you started:
- A demo app showcasing Ingress Gateway routing with staged policies
- A visualization tool that uses the Calico Cloud free tier for cluster insights
- Automation or operator extensions using Calico IPAM with MetalLB
- Test frameworks or dashboards that explore QoS configuration impacts
- Enable AI-driven insights with Goldmane and Whisker
- Tutorials, integrations with 3rd-party tools, or reference architectures that simplify the adoption of new features or showcase Calico Cloud free tier
Core Technologies
What’s New in Calico 3.30+
Goldmane
Goldmane brings a new level of network observability and flow insights to Calico
Whisker
Whisker is a developer- and operator-friendly UI built on top of Calico’s observability data
Staged Policies
Build safe-to-test security workflows using advanced policy staging and validation
Calico Ingress Gateway
Modernize north-south traffic management with native integration and high performance
Prizes
🥇 1st Place:
$1,000 USD
+ Calico Swag
🥈 2nd Place:
$500 USD
+ Calico Swag
🥉 3rd Place:
$250 USD
+ Calico Swag
Judging Criteria
Projects will be evaluated by a panel of Calico maintainers and community leaders using the following criteria:
Technical Depth
Effective use of Calico 3.30+ features
Creativity & Innovation
Original, clever, or impactful ideas
Clarity of Demo
Clear explanation and easy-to-follow walkthrough
Practical Impact
Real-world usefulness for Calico users
Community Impact
Value to the broader open-source networking and security community
Event Timeline
Hackathon announced: Save the date
Hackathon begins!
Final week! Last call for submissions
Submission deadline
Showcase & winners announced
Why Participate?
- Gain recognition in the Calico community
- Sharpen your skills with cutting-edge features
- Win cash prizes!
- Contribute to the growth of open-source networking and security
Showcase Event
At the end of the hackathon, we’ll host a Community Showcase livestream where the top finalists will demo their projects. This is a great chance to share your work with the broader Calico community, get feedback from peers and maintainers, and celebrate the innovation happening around Calico. Stay tuned for details!
How to Participate & Submit
Participating in the Project Calico 3.30+ Hackathon is simple:
Register for Updates
Sign up to receive important updates, reminders, and submission instructions
Build Your Project
Create a project that uses features from Calico 3.30 or 3.31
Publish on GitHub(Public Repository Required)
Your project must be published in a public GitHub repository and include:
- Source code
- A clear README
- Setup and run instructions
- Explanation of which Calico 3.30+ features are used
- The GitHub topic tag: calico-330-hackathon
Record a Demo Video(5–10 Minutes)
Your video should:
- Introduce the problem you’re solving
- Show how your project works
- Highlight how Calico 3.30+ features are used
- Demonstrate real-world value
Upload to YouTube (unlisted is fine) or a similar platform.
Submit Before the Deadline
Complete the official submission form before:
📅 March 31, 2026 @ 11:59 PM PST
You’ll submit:
- Project name
- GitHub repository link
- Demo video link
- Short project description
Late submissions will not be considered.
See full terms and conditions here.
Learn More & Register for Updates
- Check out the blog on the Project Calico 3.30+ Hackathon for more in-depth details
- View our Calico documentation and release notes
- Join our community on Slack to ask questions and connect with our team
Pre-Register Now
Register to receive:
- Hackathon updates, tips, and example ideas
- Important deadline reminders
- Showcase and finalist announcements
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