Dover, NH – Where can you find rockets, robots, guitars, Ghostbusters, authors, artists, retro computers and futuristic technology all in one place? These things and more will be featured at the Dover Mini Maker Faire on Saturday, August 23 from 10 am – 4 pm in Dover, NH. This second annual event celebrating innovation and hands-on creativity is the only licensed Maker Faire in the Granite State and offers visitors the opportunity to meet and share ideas with engineers, scientists, hobbyists, artisans and other makers. There will also be a variety of food trucks and refreshments for sale on site.
The Maker Faire concept was born in 2006 as a way to gather and showcase emerging ideas and technologies in a fun festival environment. It started as a grassroots one-day event in California and has grown into a line-up of more than 120 Maker Faires around the globe that attract hundreds of thousands of people each year.
The Dover Mini Maker Faire is hosted by the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in and around its location in downtown Dover’s Henry Law Park. “We wanted to bring Maker Faire to New Hampshire because it aligns so well with our mission to spark creativity and share ideas,” stated Jane Bard, President of the Museum. “In our exhibits and programs, we provide lots of opportunities for exploration and problem solving, and we encourage our visitors to come up with unique solutions. Critical thinking is a really important 21st century skill that we can help develop through events like Maker Faire and challenges that are open ended, whether those be in math and science or art and design.”
Among the more than 50 makers selected to participate in this year’s Dover Mini Maker Faire are:
Sean Violette – Paper Airplane Launcher. This year’s youngest maker, 7 year-old Sean Violette, invites attendees to make their best paper airplane to blast off from the paper airplane launcher he invented. Sean will also have his LightBot robot on display featuring a motion sensor, LED lights, and glow-in-the-dark arms and head!
KinneBotanicals – Vertical Gardening Systems. Using environmentally friendly materials, KinneBotanicals created a system to grow plants on walls instead of the floor. Their method for growing edible and ornamental plants drastically reduces space requirements and adds an interesting aesthetic to any indoor or outdoor space.
Dan Norris – Build Your Own Quadcopter. Dan Norris, author of “Build Your Own Quadcopter,” will demonstrate how to build a quadcopter drone from a kit. A completed quadcopter will be on display for visitors to examine. Norris will also offer a Raspberry Pi demonstration based on his popular book, “Raspberry Pi Projects for the Evil Genius.”
Future Tech Women – Career Exploration. This NH-based organization’s goal is to empower the next generation of women technologists. Members will be at Maker Faire to talk to girls and women about STEM careers and education pathways.
UNH LunaCats and Dover High School Shockwave Robotics – Robot Engineering. These award-winning college and high school robotics teams will showcase their robots and share their design, build and programming processes.
7th Settlement – Beer Brewing. Brewers at 7th Settlement, Dover’s first community supported brew pub, will lead tours through their brewery and explain the process of making beer from the growing and malting of grains, creation of beer recipes, the brewing process, fermenting, conditioning and post production.
Aidan Cookson – Fusion for Fun and No Profit. In his basement, Aidan Cookson built a Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor, which uses inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) to fuse deuterons. Meet Aidan and learn about his adventures with fusion technology.
Build Your Own Guitar – Instrument Building. The Build Your Own Guitar company based in Amherst, NH will demonstrate the process of building a guitar or bass from a kit.
Velleman USA and Port City Makerspace – 3D Printing. The world of 3D printing is exploding with new capabilities every day. Velleman USA will be showcasing one of their 3D printers as well as solar and educational kits. Port City Makerspace will run a live demo with a large-bed format 3D printer and sharing some of the 3D-printed projects that Makerspace members have created for inspiration.
The Open Organisation of Lockpickers (TOOOL) – Lock Picking: TOOOL’s local chapter members will teach people to pick locks as well as understand the mechanics behind the process.
Marcie Cuff – Seedbomb Workshop. New York educator and author Marcie Cuff invites Maker Faire attendees to make a seedbomb by mixing recycled paper and native seeds. Each seedbomb can be tossed into bare spots on the ground to germinate and bloom with color.
501st New England Garrison – Cosplay. The 501st is a worldwide Star Wars costuming club. Local members will demonstrate some of the specialized techniques they use to make their elaborate costumes.
George Farrow – Haunted House Tech. 14 year-old George Farrow has been running the Darkhill Cemetery Haunted House in Dover for 6 years. He focuses on using high-quality detailed sets as well as computer-controlled animatronics and spectacular sound and lighting. He will share some of the methods he uses to make this event come alive, such as foam carving/sculpting, carpentry, lighting/sound design, animatronic mechanism design and more.
Retro Computers. Check out reproductions of Apple 1 and the SCELBI 8H computers. There are only 70 original Apple 1′s remaining and original SCELBI computers are even scarcer, as there are only about a dozen known to exist. Both will be running vintage computer software games from the 1970s.
Baystate Ghostbusters. Local Ghostbusters will be back at Dover Mini Maker Faire, roaming the grounds looking for goblins, ghosts and ghouls.
For a full list of makers participating in the 2014 Dover Mini Maker Faire, please visit www.makerfairedover.com.
Sponsors of the 2014 Dover Mini Maker Faire include: 3M Foundation, Alexander Technology Group, Construction Services of NH, Prime Buchholz, Dyn Inc, Holy Rosary Credit Union, the Rowley Agency, Garrison Medical, Madison Resource Funding, Hire Alliance, Roblox and NH Public Television.
The launch of Maker Faire in the Bay Area in 2006 demonstrated the popularity of making and interest among aspiring makers to participate in hands-on activities and learn new skills at the event. A record 195,000 people attended the two flagship Maker Faires in the Bay Area and New York in 2013, with 44% of attendees first timers at the Bay Area event, and 61% in New York. A family event, 50% attend the event with children. Also in 2013, 98 independently-produced Mini and Featured Maker Faires occurred around the world, including Tokyo, Rome, Santiago, and Oslo.
Maker Faire is primarily designed to be forward-looking, showcasing makers who are exploring new forms and new technologies. But it’s not just for the novel in technical fields; Maker Faire features innovation and experimentation across the spectrum of science, engineering, art, performance and craft.
Maker Faire is brought to you by Maker Media. Maker Media publishes MAKE magazine, produces Maker Faire, and offers DIY electronics, tools, kits, and books through its online and pop-up Maker Shed stores.
About Dover Mini Maker Faire
Dover Mini Maker Faire is independently organized and operated under license from Maker Media. Inc. Interested attendees and exhibitors can follow the development of the Dover Mini Maker Faire on Twitter @makerfairedover, as well as on its Facebook and Pinterest fan pages. For more information, please visit www.makerfairedover.com or call the Children’s Museum of NH at 603-742-2002.