If you haven’t heard of Maker’s Faire before, check out details here (don’t worry, I’ll wait for you before continuing). I tried describing it on the phone to a friend earlier today, I said “it’s like a big county fair except instead of people throwing small items at smaller targets, you see them building flamethrowers and personal helicopters and solar-powered stuff.” It really isn’t the easiest thing to describe, but if you have any shred of childhood creativity left, it’s the kinda place you should go for a few hours this weekend.
I say all that, but now, wait for it, the truth is, oh boy, I’ve never been. As I mentioned on the Bug Labs blog today, I’ve managed to miss it year after year. I really believe that MAKE magazine and the corresponding event represent the best possibilities of “growing up”. Yes, I was one of those kids who took apart toys then put them back together again, albeit slightly worse than when I started (and even threw them out my bedroom window, just to see what might happen). I still have a huge bag of Lego sitting in my closet waiting for my son to get old enough to not eat them.
Tickets are only $25, though Scott Beale’s going to give away a few to some lucky folks. I’ll be at the Bug Labs “booth” along with others from the team. We’ll make some gadgets, hack some gear, and try to find a way to hook the BUG up to a flamethrower. Please join!