Maker Faire® Milwaukee

More than 250 exhibitors are expected to display projects and share their skills and interests with Faire-goers at the free admission event on Sept. 28, 29 and 30 at Wisconsin State Fair Park.

The Betty Brinn Children’s Museum and Milwaukee Makerspace, co-hosts of Maker Faire^® Milwaukee, are gearing up for their 5^th annual event at Wisconsin State Fair Park. The Faire is locally produced and funded under a license from Maker Media, Inc., publisher of MAKE: Magazine and creator of the international Maker Faire^® program.

Maker Faire Milwaukee is free and open to the public on Friday, Sept. 28 from 5 – 9 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29 from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. and on Sunday, Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Parking at Wisconsin State Fair Park is $6 per vehicle. Pre-registration is encouraged; ticket information can be found at milwaukee.makerfaire.com/tickets.

Maker Faire Milwaukee event highlights:

• The Industry, Career & College Exchange, Sept. 29, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Sept. 30, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.: The Exchange will serve as a no-cost opportunity for Faire attendees to explore career paths, education and work opportunities related to making and the critical STEAM fields.
• Midwest Tech Connect, Sept. 29, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.: The Midwest Tech Connect is a series of presentations by local corporations and start-ups showcasing the technological progress of our region.
• Heavy Meta: Heavy Meta is a 30’ long, 19’ tall fire-breathing dragon art car with interactive sound, kinetic and light components. Performances will be held Sept. 28, 29 and 30.
• Handmade Marketplace: The Faire’s Handmade Marketplace will feature 30 commercial makers exhibiting and selling their work in the Exposition Center and on Main Street.
• Music Showcase, Sept. 28, 5:30 – 9 p.m.: Four local experimental music acts – Lucky Bone, Bachelorette Party, Dan of Earth and The Smudge – will provide unique performances on the Wisconsin State Fair Park grounds from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Guest DJ Tarik Moody of 88.9 WMSE will provide live music from 7:30 – 9 p.m.
• The Wearable Art and Cosplay Fashion Show, Sept. 29, 12:30 --1 p.m. & 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. and Sept. 30, 12:30 --1 p.m. & 3 – 4 p.m.: More than 30 costumes will be featured in a new wearable art and Cosplay fashion show, presented by Cmleahydesign.
• The Power Racing Series, Sept. 29, 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and 3 – 5 p.m.; and Sept. 30, 1 – 2 p.m.: Guests can enjoy multiple races by local teams competing with their modified electric kids’ ride-on vehicles.

Special presentations:

• Product Development 101 with the UW-Milwaukee Prototyping Center, Sept. 29, 4 – 4:30 p.m. and Sept. 30, 11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Kyle Jansson, from the UWM Prototyping Center, will share information about contract product development – from ideas to production, including regulatory compliance, design, fabrication, patent applications, funding and sales.
• United Brotherhood and Sisterhood of Carpenters and Joiners, Sept. 29, 5 – 5:45 p.m.: A panel discussion about women in the trades highlighting training, education, and skilled-construction professions.
• Making Makers - A Guide to Making Cool Stuff (and Great Memories!) with Your Kids, Sept. 30, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.:
• Ruth Spiro, author of Made by Maxine and the Baby Loves Science book series, will discuss the educational benefits of making and tinkering, and share resources for finding the perfect projects for your family.

Workshops and events:

• Design & Build Derby: A hands-on building activity presented by Kohl’s that invites guests to assemble (and decorate) a small wooden car and race them down one of Maker Faire Milwaukee’s mini racing tracks. A $2 workshop fee applies.
• Rotorway Helicopter: Howard Schlei, a local pilot, author, and businessman, will showcase his kit-built, 2-person fully-functional helicopter.
• The Milwaukee Tesla Coil Builders Group: The Faire will welcome back the Milwaukee Tesla Coil Builders Group with their electric, live shows. Milwaukee Makerspace educators will provide educational demonstrations of smaller electric devices and performances with the large coils.
• Build-a-Blinkie: Guests are invited to participate in a traveling soldering workshop. Soldering materials and tools will be provided, along with instructions from booth educators.
• Laser Comedy Show: Unique performance art by Chicago comedian Chris Fair. Chris uses laser reactive technology in combination with his skills in drawing, acting and improv to tell a superhero story based on suggestions from the audience. Ninety-minute workshops will be available, a $10 fee applies.
• Re-Creation Station: A do-it-yourself workshop area with art supplies and materials for creative reuse.
• Electronic Teardown: Visitors are invited to use tools to deconstruct equipment such as a printer, a computer, or a familiar toy.
• Be A Maker Craft Lab: The Craft Lab is an open-making space for makers of all ages with make-and-take activities as well as collaborative projects. A $5 workshop fee applies.
• Be A Maker: Rocketeer: Visitors are invited to make a prototype foam rocket and test them on a DIY pump launch pad. A $2 materials fee applies.
• 4H Milwaukee County: 4H will offer dozens of hands-on, educational programs and workshops.

To view Maker Faire Milwaukee’s full schedule, visit milwaukee.makerfaire.com/schedule

About the Betty Brinn Museum

The Betty Brinn Museum serves more than 240,000 people annually and produces Maker Faire^® Milwaukee as part of its Maker Initiatives. The Initiatives were established in 2013 and expands the organization’s core “learning by doing” mission to the larger community through year-round maker programs at the Museum, outreach and other activities. The Maker Initiatives represent a critical investment in education, and in Milwaukee’s long-term economic and workforce development.

Our Maker Initiatives includes:

• Brinn Labs, the Museum’s new off-site makerspace
• The Be A Maker space at the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum
• Be A Maker field trip programs for grades K3-4th, and extensive community outreach programming that bring maker education to high-needs neighborhoods
• Designation in 2017 as a Google Making Spaces Hub institution. Making Spaces is a nationwide effort to develop a sustainable model for integrating making into schools, with a museum, library or school district serving as a partner to provide expertise and support. There are 15 hubs across the country, each working with 5-10 schools to help them develop and launch their approach to maker education.
• The Be A Maker Teacher Studio, a year-round professional development resource for K3-12th grade teachers, administrators and others. The Studio offers free meet-ups, a schedule of technology training workshops developed specifically for classroom educators and discounts on Brinn Labs classes and programs.
• Research partnerships with the UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee and Marquette University, including two published studies involving our Be A Maker field trips
• Maker Faire® Milwaukee, one of more than 200 Faires happening in 46 countries around the world, and the largest FREE admission Faire in the U.S.
• Local, regional and national affiliations and memberships:

• Wisconsin Ambassador to the Nation of Makers
• Global Maker Faire Producers Group
• Collaborations with the New York Hall of Science, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and other leading museums and science centers
• Member, Association of Science and Technology Centers
• Member, Association of Children’s Museums

About Milwaukee Makerspace

The Milwaukee Makerspace is a 16,000-square-foot collaborative workshop in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood where members – professionals, hobbyists, artists, crafters and students – share their tools, knowledge and their passion for making.

About Maker Faire

Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth -- a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness, and celebration of the Maker Movement. It's a place where people of all ages and backgrounds gather together to show what they are making and share what they are learning.

Maker Faire celebrated 221 Faires in 2017 in 38 countries, reaching 1.45 million people around the world. The 12th annual Maker Faire Bay Area, completed in May 2017, welcomed some 1,200 Makers and 125,000 attendees.

Located in San Francisco, California, Maker Media has been widely credited with jumpstarting the worldwide Maker Movement, which has been a transforming force in innovation, culture, and education. In addition to publishing Make: magazine and producing Maker Faire, Maker Media develops "getting started" kits and books it sells through its Maker Shed store as well as other retail channels.

Find a Maker Faire near you at makerfaire.com/map. More information about Maker Faire can be found at makerfaire.com.