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!
My husband was trying to describe Maker Faire to someone this afternoon, and you are correct, it’s hard to describe to someone who has never been! We’re members of the Bay Area Lego User Group and will have a Lego Train display at this year’s Faire (we did last year too) and Maker Faire is awesome! It really is like nothing else around.