The essence of wonder and the joy of experimentation returns Saturday with the Fredonia Mini Maker Faire. Many come for a few minutes and end up staying for the day.
The third annual event, which takes place inside the Williams and Science centers from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., looks to build off its maturation as a fun, family-friendly destination that captures the hearts and minds of all who get to experience it firsthand.
“What started as a passion project to celebrate creativity has really grown and evolved into a community-building experience,” said Jen Osborne-Coy, Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES public information officer and Mini Maker Faire producer. “There are so many wonderfully talented makers in our area who deserve a place to showcase their expertise. Being able to bring makers and the community together for a free, family-friendly event is truly a fulfilling mission.”
The Maker Faire, a joint production between E2CCB and Fredonia in collaboration with MAKE Magazine, has been identified as part science fair, part county fair and part something entirely new. The movement began in the San Francisco Bay area in 2006 and has since spread to New York, with an average of 61 percent new attendees each year.
“This is a great showcase for the creative, hands-on and project-based learning we aspire to at E2CCB and we are so grateful to be able to partner with Fredonia State to make this event happen every year,” Osborne-Coy said.
The daylong event is free and will feature more than 70 makers who will present and discuss their work and in many cases instruct attendees on how to create their own make-and-take projects.
“A maker is anyone who is inspired and wants to be creative,” Osborne-Coy said. “It can be a grassroots project such as Fredonia Rocks which started as a natural and unique way to spread positive messages, or something more expansive similar to Mario The Maker Magician who has made spreading creative thinking in an entertaining way his life’s work.”
Fredonia Rocks and Mario The Maker Magician (performances at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.) will be joined by a number of makers, including screen printers Rusterior Designs and WNY Book Arts Center, the Open Organization of Lockpickers, the Ripley Maker Lab, Ancient Stone Carvings, Western Style Paper Making, Northern Chautauqua Woodcarvers and Rosie’s Robots, to name a few.
Makers will be stationed within the Williams Center and the Science Center so the event will be held rain or shine. Several food trucks including Cheesy Chick, The Great Foodini, Cold Stone Creamery, Juan Chavez Catering and Dirty Bird Chicken and Waffles will be stationed between each building for refreshments.
More than 3,000 people attended Maker Faire last year so visitors are asked to take advantage of busing from outside parking lots on the Fredonia campus, including Ring Road parking lots.
The majority of make-and-take projects will be free of charge thanks in part to sponsorships from the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System, the Phyllis and Lawrence Patrie Endowment for the Sciences of the Fredonia College Foundation, National Grid, Walmart, Lake Shore Savings Bank and the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation.
For more information, please visit https://wnyregion.makerfaire.com
