Third North Carolina Maker Faire Highlights Local Inventors, Creativity, Science, Technology, Art and Culture

North Carolina's Third Maker Faire promises to be the biggest yet, with fun, hands-on activities for all the family and the chance to meet makers, who are crafters, inventors, engineers, artists and even evil geniuses. End Quote

This event is a wonderful day out, the sights and sounds, the color, and hands-on activities are fun for kids, parents, and even grandpa and grandma.

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (1888PressRelease) May 22, 2012 - The third Maker Faire North Carolina is being held Saturday, June 16, in the Kerr Scott Building at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds on Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh. Scheduled from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., admission is $10 for adults over 18, or $5 for students with valid ID and youth ages 7 through 17. Admission is free for kids six and under.

Who are the Makers? Folks who make stuff! They include inventors, artists, craftspeople, fabricators, artisans and anyone who enjoys hands-on creativity. Makers are tech enthusiasts, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, scientists, students, writers and poets. They are of all ages and backgrounds. The event in Raleigh promises an eclectic mash-up of techno-scientific artistry, gadget-crafting and hands-on demos and activities.

Jon Danforth, lead organizer of Maker Faire NC and maker of daguerrotypes (a kind of photograph), says the third Maker Faire NC will be the biggest and best yet. "This year, our Maker Faire will put North Carolina on the map as a fertile breeding ground for innovation and creativity," he says. Danforth talks about the growth of the Maker Faire NC. "Our first Maker Faire in 2010 was impressive, last year in 2011 it was amazing. This year it's going to be astonishing," he says. Danforth's confidence is well placed. The event attracts people from all over the state and beyond. From 2,000 attendees at the first event in Durham, last year's attendance topped 4,000. This year, the greater number and variety of Makers will attract even more people.

The 2012 Maker Faire NC will feature dozens of intriguing events and exhibits. "We're expecting more than 75 individuals or groups of Makers this year. They'll be presenting all sorts of inventions, creations, artwork, and techno-gadgetry," says Danforth. He encourages visitors to check out the Chaos Machine, a labyrinthine collection of tubes, tracks, motors and other widgets that move marbles around a layout, which, in the Maker spirit, you build yourself. The NC Near Space exhibit is literally out of this world, as it launches balloons to take pictures of the earth from near space. Back down to earth, the Carolina Combat Robots will duke it out for title of toughest robot.

"This event is a wonderful day out for anyone," says Danforth. "Even if you're not a Maker, the sights and sounds, the color, and hands-on activities are fun for kids, parents, and even grandpa and grandma. It truly is a family-friendly event with something for everyone." He emphasizes that those who attend are as much a part of the Maker movement as the Makers themselves, "A family that comes to this event takes away the gift of knowledge. It's a way for them to become inspired," he says. Danforth also encourages community leaders, local businesses, and educators to attend. "This is the best chance you will have all year to meet some of the most creative and imaginative people in our community," he says. "The Faire is as much about meeting Makers as it is about the cool stuff they make. It's a place to meet crafters, inventors, engineers, artists and even evil geniuses. And then you realize they are folks just like you and me." Danforth points out that the Makers are a grass-roots movement. "Makers tend to be completely focused on their craft, so they don't often self-promote or get the recognition they deserve," says Danforth. "Yet they really are movers and shakers in our community. They make things happen when it's so easy just to watch TV or sit at your computer instead."

Visitors can purchase tickets online at the Faire's website or pay at the door. The organizers encourage carpooling through the free PickupPal service, and directions and additional information are available on the Maker Faire NC website.

The 2012 Maker Faire NC will be a tipping point in Raleigh and North Carolina. Danforth knows that Maker Faires make a difference in people's lives. "Our visitors leave feeling inspired - that they're just as capable of creating, expressing and exploring the world around them," he says. "We're bringing back to life that spirit of American creativity, ingenuity and inventiveness. The spirit that makes our country great."

Event Sponsors
ShopBot, Make Magazine, TechShop, Hines Design Labs, Mystery Build, Yelp, Spoonflower

http://makerfairenc.com/

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