The Makers

What do you get when you throw together technology, science, craft and art? You get a Makers Faire. And on Saturday, June 8th Danbury hosted it's inaugural Mini Maker Faire, which was held in conjunction with the Mad Hackers Social Media Conference.

So, what's a Maker Faire? Well, it's a festival of music, technology, craftspeople, artists and engineers. They're popping up all over the country, in both big and small cities. It's a way to show off cool technology and skills and inspire others to "make" something.



Underneath the white tent covering the entire expanse of the Danbury Green were all sorts of makers. You could get yourself scanned in 3D for a personalized action figure, see how 3D printers work, learn about electronics, watch blacksmiths forge metal, see robots, watch people woodworking and making jewelry, check out a screen printer and more. Plus, there were food vendors as well as musical entertainment on the big stage.


We just happened to arrive when local band Burnkit 2600 took the stage. Basically these guys make music with circuit bent gear, 8-bit video game systems, analog synths, drum machines, samplers, and modified electronic instruments. For instance among their "instruments" was a modified child's Speak 'N Say. It's amazing what you can do when you think outside the box.


It was fun to wander around and check out all the different makers. It was especially cool to see the new technology makers with their computers and 3D printers side by side with old-school makers like blacksmiths.

We certainly hope the faire will be back next year. It was nice to see the Hat City as the host for this unique event and foster the exchange of ideas, creativity and innovation.

We're excited to see this kind of inspiration continue with the Danbury Hackerspace, a shared workspace where people learn about technology, teach classes, and build and make things. Profits from the Danbury Maker Faire went to the new Danbury Hackerspace opening next to the Danbury Library in August.

To learn more about the Danbury Hackerspace visit online at danburyhackerspace.com.

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