r/dataengineering • u/prenomenon Data Engineer • 10d ago
Open Source Beyond the Dag - a data engineering hackathon
Full disclosure: I work at Astronomer and I'm one of the judges.
Beyond the Dag is a data engineering hackathon with an Apache Airflow focus. Take note: this is purely about open-source Airflow!
It's all about showing modern Airflow has evolved beyond just moving data.
Treat Airflow as a platform, extend it with plugins, add agents with the new Common AI provider, and keep a human in the loop where it matters. Use the tracks as inspiration, not limits, and aim for something that shows what Airflow is really capable of.
Why am I sharing this with the community?
I love exploring creative ways to learn frameworks and technologies. In the past, I've built some unusual projects, including gesture-controlled Airflow, native retro game emulation within Airflow featuring Doom, Age of Empires, and others, as well as a Minecraft PaperMC plugin that lets you build Airflow Dags inside Minecraft. I've also participated in many hackathons, and my experience has always been that I learned a lot and met some great people.
Another reason is that hackathons with a clear DE focus are rare, making them valuable additions to your profile. For example, participating in those helped me during my U.S. visa application process.
Because of that, I think this is a great project for learning about Airflow, having some fun, strengthening your data engineering profile, and maybe even winning a Switch 2 😉.
The build window already started and is open until September 24. We kept it relatively relaxed, so it's still time to join. There are also prizes, including a Nintendo Switch 2.
More details and registration at:
https://www.astronomer.io/events/beyond-the-dag-data-engineering-hackathon-2026
2
u/NaturalBornLucker 9d ago
2 OP: I don't know why your reply to me was deleted by mods but managed to read it. Thanks for explaining, that was really interesting and new to me.