QUEENS, NY— What do a life-size mousetrap, robots and rockets, artisan foods, and carnival midway rides have in common? They are among the more than 300 projects and performances from the New York area and beyond participating in the first World Maker Faire at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI). This two-day, family-friendly event takes place September 25 - 26 and celebrates creativity and resourcefulness in all forms.
Created five years ago in northern California by the publishers of MAKE magazine, Maker Faire showcases the best of do-it-yourself science and technology. Each year, the Faire has increased in popularity, and the demand for an east coast Maker Faire has been equally consistent. NYSCI is New York's center for hands-on fun and learning and a fitting host for the Faire. NYSCI was founded at the 1964-65 World's Fair as a showcase for the science of tomorrow. In 2010, World Marker Faire will show us that the future is in our hands -- and the hands of people who make, create, invent and craft.
World Maker Faire is an indoor/outdoor event on NYSCI's 20-acre site inside Flushing Meadows Corona Park. In addition to the more than 300 makers on display, NYSCI's 450-plus hands-on exhibits, science demos, and art-technology pieces will be open to all Maker Faire attendees.
"This is an irresistible collaboration," said NYSCI President and CEO Margaret Honey. "NYSCI and MAKE are ideal partners for bringing this festival of innovation to New York. Both NYSCI and Maker Faire are about curiosity, creativity and inventiveness. That's the crux of scientific discovery and at the heart of the Maker movement."
"Maker Faire blends creative and technical people together and we get a sense of all the interesting and unique things happening in the community," said Dale Dougherty, founder of MAKE magazine and Maker Faire. "There are incredible Makers in New York and the East Coast, making the inaugural World Maker Faire a not to be missed hands-on experience for the entire family to enjoy."
Some of the confirmed Makers in the inaugural World Maker Faire include:
- ArcAttack! -- A unique musical experience generating an 'electrifying' audio visual performance, with dual-resonant solid state Tesla Coils as synchronized instruments.
- Cyclecide Pedal Powered Bike Rodeo -- Monster bikes, music and comedy lassoed into a clown rodeo.
- Life-Size Mousetrap -- The classic board game turned into a life-size spectacle of colorful kinetic sculptures comprising a giant 25-ton Rube-Goldberg machine!
- Deus Ex Machina Swingset -- large-scale swing set with a computer controlled interactive water plane, capable of making shapes and text!
- Science Cabaret with NPR's science correspondent Ira Flatow.
- Non-Newtonian -- Walk across a pool filled with oobleck to help set a world record!
- BUST Craftacular -- an expo of hand-made wonders from the practical to the whimsical.
- Coke Zero & Mentos Fountains -- Geysers of soda shoot over twenty feet into the air in this spectacular mint-powered version of the Bellagio Fountains.
- Madagascar Institute's Midway Rides
- FSP -- Felt Signal Processing -- two sisters use felt to serve as a tactile interface for shaping and controlling sound and video.
- DIYBio on board the BioBus -- a moving science lab powered by solar power, wind turbine, waste vegetable oil engine and a green roof and hands-on DNA experiments.
Ticket prices include admission to both World Maker Faire and NYSCI. Tickets are $25 for adults (18-61), $10 for youth (2-17), $20 for seniors (62+), and $15 for students with a valid ID. Two-day passes are also available. Tickets are available at www.makerfairetickets.com.
World Maker Faire Media Sponsors include: Popular Science, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia , Popular Mechanics, BUST Magazine, Science Illustrated and BurdaStyle
Follow Maker Faire on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/makerfaire
For more information visit www.makerfaire.com and www.nysci.org.
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. The inaugural Maker Faire was held in San Mateo, California in 2006, and in May, Maker Faire celebrated its 5th annual Bay Area festival. As Maker Faire continues to grow in popularity and relevance, Maker Faire has expanded to Detroit and New York City for 2010. See the Maker Faire website for details www.makerfaire.com. Maker Faire is supported by MAKE Magazine, makezine.com, craftzine.com and O'Reilly Media, the premier information source for leading-edge computer technologies. The company's books, conferences and web sites bring to light the knowledge of technology innovators.
About the New York Hall of Science: NYSCI is New York's center for hands-on fun and learning with more than 450 exhibits, science demonstrations, and programs for families, students and teachers. NYSCI conveys the excitement and understanding of science and technology by galvanizing curiosity and offering creative, participatory ways to learn.
About O’Reilly
O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.