DEARBORN, Michigan – On July 30 and 31, The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan will be the place to visit when Maker Faire Detroit returns to Henry Ford Museum for two days of unconventional imagination and stunning ingenuity.
More than 300 makers will bring their wares, ideas, inventions and solutions to Maker Faire Detroit, offering everything from robots, flame shooters and animatronics to solar-powered mechanical sculptures and fashionable finds. And don’t forget the wheelchair-powered cupcake.
This year, 80 percent of the makers are new to Maker Faire Detroit. First-time Michigan makers include Phillip McRoberts from Macomb and his Robbie the Robot, a roving 5-foot-tall webcam robot that streams video and audio; the Green Girl Scouts from Birmingham who turn trash into treasure like neckties into sunglasses, old magazines into gift bows and old belts into bracelets; Detroit artists Kristine Diven and Micho Detronik of District VII and their Mannequin Forest, an artificial forest of mannequins, circuitry and interaction; i3Detroit’s John Sugg and his Atari 2600-turned-synthesizer keyboard; and Rick Erickson of Niles and his Michiana Shanty 2, a folding portable shelter for extreme cold conditions and more.
It wouldn’t be Maker Faire without some Faire favorites: The LifeSize Mousetrap, the Coke and Mentos guys, the i3Detroit Hackerspace booth, Handmade Detroit, and the make-and-take Marshmallow Shooters. And don’t forget about the food — along with the selection from The Henry Ford’s award-winning culinary team, ticketholders can visit the booths of Sweet Sass Foods from Livonia, Doodle’s Sugarbush from Blanchard, Genesis Tea from Detroit, Naturally Nutty Foods from Traverse City, Treat Dreams from Ferndale and more.
Ticket prices at $28 for adults (13-61), $19 for youth (5-12), and $26 for seniors (62+) can be purchased now. Children 4 and under are free. Prices for a two-day pass are $48 for adults, $33 for youth, and $45 for seniors. Members of The Henry Ford receive free admission to Henry Ford Museum and can purchase Maker Faire tickets at a discounted price. For more information, please call 313-982-6001 or visit www.thehenryford.org/makerfaire
Created by the publishers of MAKE Magazine and makezine.com, Maker Faire draws tech and DIY enthusiasts. The event attracts families, school teachers, students, local science, hobby and tech clubs, as well as those who are drawn by a curiosity for the unorthodox and often whimsical MacGyver-like nature of Makers and their projects. Maker Faire Detroit will feature demonstrations and hands-on workshops over the two days. Visitors will enjoy arts and crafts, science and engineering, robotics, sustainable living, music and fine arts, fun for kids and families and more.
Maker Faire Detroit is presented by Pure Michigan, Ford SYNC and the Ford Motor Company.
About Maker Faire
Maker Faire‘s mission is to inspire, inform, connect and entertain thousands of Makers and aspiring Makers of all ages and backgrounds through the public gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkers, hobbyists, science clubs, students, authors and commercial exhibitors. Started in San Mateo, California in 2006, Maker Faire held the 5th annual festival in the Bay Area last May in San Mateo, California. As Maker Faire continues to grow in popularity and relevance, Maker Faire expanded to two new cities in 2010: Detroit and New York City. See the Maker Faire website for details. Maker Faire is supported by MAKE Magazine, www.makezine.com, www.craftzine.com and O’Reilly Media, the premier information source for leading-edge computer technologies. The company’s books, conferences and websites bring to light the knowledge of technology innovators.
About The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford, in Dearborn, Michigan, is the world’s premier history destination and a National Historic Landmark that celebrates American history and innovation. Its mission is to provide unique educational experiences based on authentic objects, stories and lives from America’s traditions of ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovation. Its purpose is to inspire people to learn from these traditions to help shape a better future. Five distinct attractions at The Henry Ford captivate more than 1.5 million visitors annually: Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, The Ford Rouge Factory Tour, The Benson Ford Research Center and The Henry Ford IMAX Theatre. The Henry Ford is also home to Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school which educates 485 students a year on the institution’s campus and was founded in partnership with The Henry Ford, Ford Motor Company and Wayne County Public Schools. For more information please visit our website.