Ever wanted to make your own robot? Set up an urban farm? Learn to paint with a bicycle? Both novices and experts are invited to get their hands dirty and learn from one another at the upcoming Mini Maker Faire, Vancouver’s biggest skill swap.
Vancouver Mini Maker Faire (VMMF) will feature over 100 makers who will demonstrate skills such as puppetry, electronics, computer hacking, music-making, quilting, farming and virtual reality. It’s where art meets science, craft meets utility, and farmer’s market meets backyard forum.
Originating in San Francisco, Maker Faire is a two-day celebration of making and creating. A fun, interactive collection of demonstrations, exhibits and displays, it’s an all-ages family festival promoting the DIY ethos on a large scale.
So what is a maker anyway? Mathematics, geometry, chemistry, and physics are all part of the typical maker’s toolkit, and all will be featured at a Maker Faire. Innovators and professionals will share their skills and knowledge through interactive exhibits ranging from robotics, engineering, and information technology to quilting, knitting, and woodworking.
“There’s something for everybody at a Maker Faire,” says VMMF Creative Director Emily Smith. “It brings together all of the local community groups to share what they are doing, while immersed in a spectacle of fun and excitement.” Earlybird tickets are available until April 30. Be part of the city’s biggest show and tell. And if you want to help make the event happen, sign up to volunteer.
In addition to The Vancouver Maker Foundation, host organization and non-profit behind the event, local creatives such as Vancouver Hackspace, Vancouver Community Laboratory, Blim and SFU will be on hand to show how anyone can be a maker – all it takes is a little curiosity.
“There’s no shortage of raw talent, energy and enthusiasm than with a group of Makers,” says Smith. “It’s the type of event that will make you want to find a project and exhibit in the next year.”
Craft fair alert: Got Craft?, a modern twist on the conventional craft fair that showcases local, handmade artists, and one-of-a-kind goods, will have an increased presence at this year’s Faire. What once began as a booth has now sprouted into a full-fledged craft fair within the Faire.
Vancouver Mini Maker Faire
Dates: June 1 and 2, 10 am to 6 pm
Venue: PNE Forum: 2901 East Hastings Street, Vancouver
Tickets: Online (Early bird weekend pass) Adults, $20; students, $14; children, $10
Family packs are also available (up to five people, max. two adults) for $50
Follow updates leading to the event via Facebook and Twitter.
Photos courtesy of Vancouver Mini Maker Faire.
