TECHNOTES: Why A Maker Faire?

Maker Faires are happening all over the world and growing at a rapid pace. 

Last year there were 190 independently-produced “Mini Maker Faires” and 30 larger-scale Maker Faires from Kansas City to Barcelona to Paris to Rome to Tokyo, and many other cities.

So What Exactly is a Maker Faire?

“A Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth—a family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and  resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement.”

A Maker Faire is best described as part county fair and part science fair but with a focus on creating, making, and sharing “things.”  Maker Faires focus on creativity and creating through different mediums as inspired by passionate people.  

Maker Faires gather people of all ages including:

• tech enthusiasts
• crafters
• tinkerers
• hobbyists
• educators
• science clubs
• engineers
• authors
• artists
• students
• commercial exhibitors

Presenter Makers come to the Maker Faire to show what they’ve done and share their learnings with other maker enthusiasts. Maker Faires are also an opportunity to participate in hands-on activities and learn new skills. 

The Faire is designed to inspire and empower attendees to go home and either find their inner Maker or continue making with their newfound skills and ideas.

The first Maker Faire launched in the Bay Area in 2006 and has continued annually, each year drawing a bigger crowd.  The last Faire this year drew over 125,000 people.  New York hosts the 2nd largest worldwide Maker Faire and will draw 100,000 people.

So are the attendees groupies will the fair draw in new crowds?

The Bay Area Maker Faire (May) draws in an average of 44% of first timer attendees each year and New York draws in 61% of first-timers.  And guess what?  Maker Faires are a perfect event to take your kids to!

In my mind, Maker Faires scream STEAM!  STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.  The Maker presenters show what they’ve done with imagination, curiosity, and creativity and inspire attendees to do the same.

The Bay Area Maker Faire has already passed this year but the New York Maker Faire, which takes place in Queens, is next week, Sept. 22-23rd.  It will feature over 800 projects and include tons of hands-on activities on all sorts of projects for all ages and skill levels.

Stages and attractions include:

• social impact and making for good
• healthcare
• the future of food
• art installations on display
• the latest developments in
  •  microelectronics
  • 3D printing
  • drones
  • robotics
  • and more
• Coke Zero & Mentos Show from Eepybird
• Cosplay Contest: to find the most creative DIY costumes Makers are making!
• The Hand of Man: Creator Christian Ristow’s 26 foot-long, hydraulically actuated human hand and forearm controlled by a glove device, which is capable of picking up and crushing cars
• Gaming and Mixed Reality: new exhibit areas showcase experiments in the emerging landscape of AR, VR and game interfaces
• Sculptor Adrian Landon: The hand-hewn steel kinetic sculptures of this celebrated NYC Saatchi artist will be on display
• The Dark Room: An entire exhibit hall devoted to light-driven, interactive projects, and immersive art
• The DIY Content Creators’ Stage: a new stage and lounge devoted solely to the YouTubers of the Maker Movement
• and so much more!

How Much Does a Ticket Cost?

If you buy tickets at the show, it’s $50 per day for adults and $30 per day for students and youths. 

If you buy your tickets in advance (by Sept. 21), they are $40 per for adults and $25 per day for kids.  You can buy a weekend pass for $80 per adult and $50 per child at the show and save $10 each ticket if you buy before Sept. 21st.

The bigger Maker Faires typically offer an Early Bird special pricing if you buy 1 1/2 months before the show as well.

NY Location: 

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, 10am-6pm September 22-23, 2018 – New York Hall of Science | 47-01 111th Street | Corona, NY 11368

I’m excited to tell you that I am taking my 12-year-old son and we are heading out to New York for the East coast Maker Faire! 

This will be my first Maker Faire and I will follow-up our visit with an article showing you what we saw and what inspired us.

If you’re going to be there too, let me know!

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