NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Maker Faire 2009: the World's Largest DIY Festival Returns to the Bay Area

DIY Makers, Progressive Techies, Old-Fashioned and Indie Crafters, Mad Scientists, Quirky Musicians and Myriad Innovators Gather to Celebrate the Maker Movement and Maker's Weekend

Maker Faire Bay Area 2009, the World's premiere DIY (Do-It-Yourself) event, is returning to the San Mateo Event Center this weekend May 30th - 31st, which is officially Maker's Weekend as proclaimed by the county of San Mateo. With more than 600 Makers scheduled to show off their inventions including robotics, rockets, crafts and food, organizers are expecting record crowds with attendees from across the state, country and beyond for this one of a kind event.

Produced by the folks who bring you MAKE Magazine, Maker Faire celebrates things people create themselves -- from James Bond-worthy electronic gizmos to Martha Stewart-quality "slow made" foods and homemade clothes. Inspiration is ubiquitous at the festival and there are surprises around every corner for people of all ages.

"At the surface, Maker Faire is a fun event for people of all ages," explained Event Director Sherry Huss. "But we want people to experience more than just a weekend of creative entertainment, we want them to leave feeling inspired -- that they too can create things, express themselves, and engage the world around them. Our goal is to resuscitate the spirit of American creativity and innovation."

Specific event highlights from this year's Maker Faire will include the Robotic Warships; rocket making and launching; Fighting Insect Bots; and the ever-evolving 17-foot tall Electric Giraffe that will be roving the fairgrounds. There is also a Food Makers Market that features HOMEGROWN village and other edible delights for tastings, education and demonstrations.

Other must-see Maker Faire Makers and attractions include:

-- Alternative vehicles, the Twin Tesla Coils and the Lighting Temple

-- Maker Faire favorites: EepyBird showing off its Diet Coke and Mentos Mega Fountains and the Rube Goldberg style Life-Size Mousetrap

-- Maker Music and Steampunk fun

-- A few of the many speakers and their topics throughout the weekend include Adam Savage, "Colossal Failures"; Chris Anderson, Wired magazine, "DIY Drones," and Esther Dyson "What's a nice lady like you doing in (a) space like this?"

Maker Faire event sponsors include Epilog Laser, Etsy, Freelancers Union, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Lion Brand Yarn, Provo Craft, Radio Shack, ShopBot Tools, SparkFun Electronics, Singer, Whole Foods Market, Yahoo!

                  Maker Faire

                     When:

       May 30th, 2009 Saturday 10AM - 8PM

       May 31st, 2009 Sunday   10AM - 6PM

                     Where:

           San Mateo Event Center
      1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo, CA


                     Advance Purchase Price at Local Outlets*    Onsite
                     Single Day                                  Single Day
Adult                $20.00                                      $25.00
Student (13 to 20)   $10.00                                      $15.00
Youth (4 to 12)      $5.00                                       $10.00
Kids (3 & under)     Free                                        Free

Weekend passes are only available online or onsite at the full price

*Purchase Single Day Tickets at 75 Local Bay Area Locations (Radio Shack, Whole Foods Market San Mateo, Exploratorium, Copperfields, and the Cartoon Art Museum)

Discounted Maker Faire tickets are available 75 locations in 28 Bay Area cities until 5/31/2009. Save $5 per ticket, avoid lines on-site and support your local community by visiting one of these great Maker Faire partner locations up through the event for your Maker Faire tickets!

For more information, visit www.makerfaire.com

Follow Maker Faire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#mf09

About Maker Faire

Maker Faire is being held on May 30 & 31, 2009 at the San Mateo County Event Center. Started in San Mateo, California in 2006, it has since expanded to Austin and is the premier event for grassroots American innovation. Held annually in each of these locations, the event may expand elsewhere in the future. Maker Faire is supported by Make Magazine 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 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.