The making of a great Fair!
The momentum continues as we count down to our second annual Maker Faire… Only 4 more weeks!!
Makers such as Engineers of Tomorrow, First Robotics, LVL1, Line by Lion, Good Garbage, Digital Fabber, Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft, Little Loomhouse, Louisville Free Public Library, and many more join us on the 800 & 900 blocks of East Market in Louisville’s Nulu District on September 27, 2014. From 10a – 10p, the curious, inquisitive, creative and dreamers can witness amazing works, creations, robotics, art from regional makers.
Perfect for families and free thanks to our generous sponsors: GE’s FirstBuild, Louisville Collegiate School, Vogt Awards, Samtec and TWC !
We simply ask that you register in advance and help us build our attendance even more this year – spread the word!
Big thanks to Business First for their recent story!
More sponsors show support!
We’re so excited to welcome 2 more sponsors to the growing list of companies supporting our second annual fair!
The Vogt Awards and Time Warner Cable join the fold in support of Louisville’s maker movement! Thank you to these new sponsors and all of our 2014 sponsors in making our September 27th fair possible and free to attendees.
Makers among Louisville’s movers & shakers!
Louisville mini Maker Faire will be among the many of Louisville’s movers & shakers at these two events coming up. Hope to see you there!!
August 28 – Leadership Louisville Mayoral Luncheon, featuring Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore. The city’s Digital Harbor Foundation works to get youth connected to technology, innovation and making. Register here!
September 3 – Venture Connectors will host a panel of local “makers” at its Sept. 3 luncheon meeting. Panelists Natarajan Venkatakrishnan (Venkat) of maker fair sponsor GE’s FirstBuild and participating maker Brad Luyster of LVL1 join LmMF organizer and founder Campbell Boyer is discussing what the local “Maker Economy” looks like, as well as how the movement is positively impacting the city, its business climate and the lifestyles of its citizens. Sign up today!
GE’s FirstBuild signs on as Master Maker (title) Sponsor!
GE’s FirstBuild has signed on as title sponsor of the 2nd annual Louisville Mini Maker Faire!
“We believe that the Louisville Mini Maker Faire event has great potential to become the must- attend Maker Faire of the Midwest, and are excited to help achieve that goal,” said Natarajan Venkatakrishnan (“Venkat”) of GE’s FirstBuild.
FirstBuild is a “micro-factory,” GE’s version of a hacker space where students, techies and GE engineers collaborate on innovations related to the appliance industry. Since 2013, GE has been growing increasingly close to the tech and startup community in Louisville, looking for new ways to tackle production problems that big corporations find hard to solve.
Campbell Boyer, Louisville Mini Maker Faire organizer said, “We’re ecstatic to be associated with GE’s FirstBuild. It’s focus, mission and dedication to the local maker community is second to none. Having public support means a lot to the community and to the makers of our city.”
The Maker Faire will be held in conjunction with the 6th Annual Nulu Festival and kick off week of IdeaFestival®. The date of the event is Saturday, September 27, 2014 in the 800 & 900 blocks of East Market Street (between Shelby and Wenzel Streets). Last year’s Louisville’s Mini Maker Faire drew an estimated crowd of between 12,000 – 17,000, with over 85 makers participating.
The Louisville Mini Maker Faire is free and appropriate for all ages, but participation in some activities will require safety waivers, available at the event.
Louisville Mini Maker Faire is accepting applications for maker participation through August 31, 2014. Makers, apply here!
LEGOs® + MakerBots + Community = FirstBuild
I noticed the signs first.
“Community Welcome.”
“Collaborate. Contribute. Belong.”
“Think It. Make It.”
When’s the last time a big corporation asked you “How would you make our products better?” and then invited you into a beautiful, creativity-inspiring, cool-tool-filled place where you could do more than just offer suggestions but actually Make?
FirstBuild kicked off in a big way on Thursday, July 24, with a picture-perfect grand opening. GE, University of Louisville, and Metro Louisville officials shared the podium with our homegrown LVL1 Hackerspace and talked about the journey.
Like the products and innovations it’s intended to inspire, FirstBuild was born of a good idea – “How does a company shift to a market- and community-driven innovation strategy?” And the mindset seems one of “We’ll innovate as we go.” As GE’s Kevin Nolan says, “There’s no playbook for this.”
What I loved most was seeing a pile of LEGOs® on a table next to a CNC machine.
The message? Makers can use all kinds of tools to turn inspiration into reality.
I’m pretty proud to be a Maker in Louisville today.
Coding Classes for Kids – Just Across the Bridge
Makers think geographic boundaries are to be crossed. Especially when there are interesting things to be learned on the other side.
If you have young people in your life between ages 8 and 13, and want them to get a taste of coding, then you’ll want to check out the kids’ coding classes at Velocity, a nonprofit that supports entrepreneurship in Jeffersonville, IN (literally 5 minutes from downtown Louisville). Learn more on their website – http://velocityindiana.org/
Classes are offered each night of the week – the next session runs July 21 to August 14.
Hats off to Velocity for feeding our regional Maker pipeline – we expect to see some of these sharp young minds sharing their talent with the crowd at our September 27 th Mini Maker Faire!
Makers Unite – Apply now to come get your make on!
Makers of ALL stripes are invited to be a part of this year’s Louisville mini Maker Faire. The 2nd annual Louisville Mini Maker Faire is Saturday, September 27, 2014.
Promotion is well under way and many are stepping up to sponsor, volunteer and more. Louisville is for making. Come get your make on!
Makers from science, technology and engineering; arts and crafts; food, beverages and greentech; and many other disciplines are encouraged to join us! Exhibits include a display of skills and creations in 3D printing, robotics, drones, engineering, and artistry.
Apply here. The Call for Makers is open through August 31, 2014.
MAKE some noise!
Please join us in a HUGE thanks to our most recent sponsors stepping up to MAKE it all happen this September.
Louisville Collegiate School is no stranger to the Louisville mini Maker Faire, having hosted us for events on campus this spring. Look for them at the fair on September 27! Thanks again for your support.
We’ve also secured a generous contribution from an anonymous donor and BIG fan of makers all around. Thank you for your passionate commitment to keeping Louisville a city for makers!
Help us MAKE it happen in an even bigger way this year. Support Louisville mini Maker Faire! Sponsorship opportunities here.
Louisville is for Makers
Louisville is a place that makes things – appliances and their parts, cars and trucks. GE, Nth Works, and Ford – you represent us well!
There are also crafters of bourbon barrel furniture. Children who leave behind hand-drawn pictures tied with yarn and a feather at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft. The creators of the “Louisville Made” image at the top of this page.
And now there’s First Build – where a big company asks garage tinkerers for new ideas. I mean – could you have even imagined this a decade ago?
Yes, Louisville is a city of Makers. And a good thing too. This is a city where visitors don’t have to look hard to see a unique soul. It’s a place that draws you in with its inventiveness – and encourages you to try your hand at it as well.
Maybe the best place to witness this welcoming spirit is in September, when Makers of all stripes converge on NuLu to share, party, and make stuff.
Join us September 27, 2014. www.makerfairelou.org
Permission to Make!
Mythbusters and maker extraordinaire Adam Savage gives you permission to Make!