YPN events have included salsa dancing and laser tag. The group hosted a cosmic bowling night for summer interns to facilitate socialization between younger staff members and interns hoping that it might bring some of those students back to the Lab for future employment.

“There was something for everybody,” said Mr. Llorens of the National Security Technology Department, who along with Osbaldo “O.C.” Cantu of the Applied Information Sciences Department, helped organize the event as part of the Lab’s Young Professionals Network (YPN), an informal group that has been active for about one year.

Llorens adds that the group welcomes anyone. There is no age cutoff or career path distinction. The group’s original demographic target was young professionals, but Llorens adds that they are open to the scope becoming more broad, if other APL staffers are like-minded and interested in taking part. The Music Festival, for example, drew people of all ages and departments — close to 80 in total, about three times more than expected.

“There are some extremely talented people at the Lab,” Cantu says. “You’re watching and you’re thinking this is someone you expect to hear on the radio.” One of the talented people he’s referring to is Llorens, a hip-hop artist who performs under the name SoulStice, and has his second album, “Dead Letter Perfect,” coming out this month. Another performer, Mason Baron, of the Air and Missile Defense Department, also has an independent record, and the band Hand Painted Swinger, of which the Technical Services’ Department’s David Vespoint is a member, released an album last year.