Tag Archives: Fort Wayne Regional Maker Faire

Maker Faire is Still Seeking Volunteers

Friends of making, it’s nearly that time again – the Fort Wayne Regional Maker Faire is just a few days away but there’s still time to Register to Volunteer! An event of this size takes many, many hands to ensure a good experience for all attendees and we need your help.DSCN0641

Still have a few slots open for welders and a variety of shifts for help at the front gate, Maker Shed/Raffle, Bike Valet and more.

Register as a volunteer to get in free AND receive a Tshirt for a few hours of your time.

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And People Say you Can’t Make Metal Fly

Maker Jim Galbreath from Logansport, IN will be back for 2015 after a few years hiatus. Jim makes wonderfully unique metal sculptures like a dinosaur mailbox, a spider, or stylized bike rakes. You may have seen his work in the town square in Logansport – its a beauty of a couple dancing.

Jim’s been busy creating piece for Art Prize in Grand Rapids coming this fall. We’re lucky that our guests will first get to see it at Maker Faire Fort Wayne. It weighs 3,000 lbs. but not to worry, it’s much lighter than a real meteor on which he based the metal design.

Have an idea for something you want to have made, Attend Maker Faire Fort Wayne and let Jim or one of our other metal art Makers know.

See A Bike That Will Mess With Your Brain

Shane Coker will back for Maker Faire Fort Wayne 2015.

20140914_165539Shane’s background is in industrial robotics and sheet metal fabrication. He sees his projects as art, but also as a launch point for good conversation. New this year, he’s bringing a bicycle with reversed controls. That is, you turn the handlebars right, the bicycle turns left. You can talk with him about how your brain works as you fail to ride this bike, and why you fail.

Also this year, back by popular demand: the Motorized Bicycle, the Chain Bike, and the Modified 1964 Schwinn. Ask him a question about any topic. He knows you will likely both learn something.

The Martians are Coming – Oh My!

New to Maker Faire Fort Wayne, The Goodrich Martians FIRST Robotics Teams, Team 494 The Martians, and Team 70, More Martians will be joining us. They’re bringing parade vehicles they’ve built which include a ʺTime Machineʺ powered by the fuel of the future, ʺBubblesʺ, also incorporates a programmable light disk to help provide for easier time travel (note the Time Machine group was founded in 2098 and has traveled back in time to attend Makers Faire); a ʺCupcake Carʺ is our most delicious vehicle, and a ʺGiant Robot Spiderʺ which is just creepy, scary, and interesting. Please enjoy them all.

Detroit Maker Faire This Weekend at The Henry Ford

Power Racing Series

Power Racing Series

This is Detroit’s 6th year for what was an original flagship event for Maker Media in the early days of Maker Faire. There will be over 400 Maker Exhibitors along with the exceptional exhibits within The Henry Ford itself. Thanks to the Detroit planning team for teaching us how to do a Maker Faire.

Enter-the-RaceSuggest you pop on up to Detroit to enjoy the show and to support local Maker Scott Rizzo known for his “Twinkie Mobile”. Scott will represent Fort Wayne’s TekVenture as he goes undercover as “The Huminator” in the national Power Racing Series Circuit. Wish Scott luck that his car survives to race in the Fort.

We’ll have Remote-Controlled Cars and Belt Sander Racing

Aaron Makin, famed for TekVenture’s Chain Reaction Challenge will be there with his remote controlled vehicle, pumpkin chunkin and belt sander racing. You may have seen Aaron on TV when his snowblower got picked up by the media last winter. The remote-controlled Barbie Car, turned lawn mower project he showed off at Maker Faire 2013 has since been converted into a snow blower (just into time for a horrible winter snowstorm.) Aaron was ultimately featured on CNN’s home page.

Extended Maker Registration Deadline Closes – Midnight – July 15th

Midnight, July 15 is the extended registration deadline for 2015 Maker Faire Call for Makers RegistrationThe 5th Maker Faire Fort Wayne – Powered by TekVenture is scheduled Saturday and Sunday, August 8 & 9, 2015, at Headwaters Park East – Lincoln Pavilion, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Just a reminder we’re early this year so don’t forget to get registered. We’re looking forward to reviewing your application for this family friendly event to showcase your interesting projects.

It’s free to show off your work at Maker Faire and Commercial Makers can sell to the public for just $100. If your project isn’t finished, even better, bring it to the Faire and work on it there. We guarantee you’ll have learned something from someone and hopefully your project will be even better.

TJE_6417

Ideas for the Faire:

  • Kinetic or static sculpture
  • Robotics
  • CNC projects
  • Green Tech (energy production/monitoring, electric vehicles, etc)
  • Recycled or upcycled projects
  • DIY Science
  • Participatory activities (e.g., participatory activities such as silk screening or last year’s learn to solder, “Make and Takes” where guests walk away with something they’ve made)
  • Student projects
  • Radio
  • Rocketry
  • Unusual tools, machines, techniques
  • Whimsical technical creations
  • Unusual Craft projects or techniques
  • Craft materials and dodads for trading at the Swatch-O-Rama free trading post
  • Use of old and new technologies
  • Fixing and/or taking things apart
  • Cool bicycles of any kind
  • Art Cars
  • Bands to play on the entertainment stage
  • Entries for the Power Racing Series (modified kids electric ride-on vehicle races)

car

Cirque AmongUs is Coming Back for Our 5th Year!

Many have asked if it’s true. It is. Cirque AmongUs will be back for the 5th consecutive Maker Faire Fort Wayne so if you need to hone up on your circus performance skills, now is your chance!Man on Dicycle

You may remember Sem Abrahams, Guinness Record holder for the world’s tallest unicycle ride at an unbelievable 110 feet!?! We’ve asked him to return with his crazy monocycle, the one-wheeled, motorized “vehicle” that this writer considers close to being a deathtrap.

Come to Maker Faire to learn fundamentals of circus arts – juggling, movement and balance – in a safe, fun-filled, and educational environment. Walk a tightrope, juggle, see if you can flip on o-rings or have fun riding a variety of custom wheeled cycles (for lack of a better word) Sem and his family have dreamed up and built.

Maker Faire is like no other event in that guests participate in experiential learning such as how to weld or solder while learning how Makers of the region and beyond go about turning their ideas into reality. Who knows which idea will change the world. Maybe you’ll find that you’re a Maker too!

There’s Still Time to “Build a Car” for Maker Faire

Come see adults ride super-fun themed modified kids’ electric cars around straight track and hairpin turns at the Fort Wayne Regional Maker Faire – Powered by TekVenture.

2013 Fort Wayne Race Coverage

Fort Wayne is once again a stop on The Power Racing Series, a national circuit pitting racers against each other in short heat and endurance racing. The 2015 circuit kicks off this weekend at the Bay Area Flagship Maker Faire! It includes stops at Maker Faires in Kansas City and Detroit followed two weeks later by Fort Wayne, then goes to New York World Maker Faire, and ends in Atlanta in October. Racers earn points for speed, endurance and Moxie along the way.

Good luck to all racers throughout the entire season.

Check out our updated Racing page to learn all the details, including what it takes, how to register, the Rules, circuit stop dates and more.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

It’s No Joke – Maker Faire Fort Wayne is Coming August 8 & 9

We know. We do a horrible job of wrapping up after Maker Faire Fort Wayne but it’s because we’re so sad its over each year.  Plus this year has been extra busy as TekVenture has moved from our trailer to a new building at 1800 Broadway, Fort Wayne, IN.

We are happy however to announce that although it’s April Fool’s Day, we really are accepting registrations from interested exhibitors for Maker Faire 2015.

This event was designed as a fun forum for Makers to share projects so join us on August 8 & 9 at Headwater Park East. You will connect with other Makers and learn about their interesting projects. Plus, you’ll get to strut your own stuff and get a rare chance to engage in creative collaboration with Makers of all kinds that represent a vast number of disciplines.

Ariel shot of Wet Swing Set built by TekVenture Makers that premiered at the 2012 Faire.

Ariel shot of Wet Swing Set built by TekVenture Makers that premiered at the 2012 Faire.

We’re looking for the weird and the wonderful, the bold and outrageous, the plain Jane and the birds-of-many-a-feather at Maker Faire Fort Wayne. Our motto is 1 of everything and 5 of nothing (just make it family friendly please.)

Register by completing a Call for Makers – due no later than July 4th. Space is limited so get your registration in early – we want to make sure to have room for you and to promote you’ll be at the Faire!