Having trouble discerning whether or not you qualify? Event director Elise VanDyne says it’s just a construct whose time has come. “The maker movement came up from a cross-section of revolutions in electronics and technology, combining with a robust DIY craft culture,” she explains. “And it’s a very sustainable-oriented movement that uses a lot of recycled and sustainable goods, with people who create something new and different from whatever is available. What’s critical is that the maker movement breaks down the silos between them: We might place a fiber artist next to an LED-lighting expert, and that in turn uplifts the fiber artist into a whole new kind of project.”
And like the movement itself, the festival’s opportunities seem endless: Speakers, workshops, challenges, demonstrations and displays are all part of the Maker Faire’s multi-generational mix. Why has it taken so long for Denver to get its own Maker Faire? “Nobody else is crazy enough,” VanDyne jokes. “Really, it’s taken a while for there to be enough people here who get it. Now we have several different maker spaces in Denver, and a community to support it.”
Get on the rocket ship: The Denver Mini Maker Faire runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days at the National Western, 4655 Humboldt Street. Admission is $6.50 to $11.50 daily or $10 to $20 for a two-day pass; register at denvermakerfaire.com.
Sat., May 3, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., May 4, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 2014
