Stewards Toolkit

Maker Faire Bay Area

October 13-15 & 20-22, 2023

Let's Make!

For two incredible weekends in October exhibits of individuals sharing their creations, large-scale art installations, interactive makerspaces, dynamic school groups, and incredible organizations showcasing their inventions will be taking over the historic buildings of Mare Island. The Maker Community’s favorite fun, interactive maze of demonstrations, exhibits, workshops, and displays is back!

Thank you so much for your interest in Volunteering!

Together we are going to make this year’s Maker Faire a truly unique, educational, safe, and extraordinary experience for all.

Everything you need to know

In order to help with ANY of our Volunteer positions, you must be able to:

  • Be outdoors for the duration of your shift.
  • Represent Maker Faire with a positive, can-do attitude.
  • Work well with Guests and/or team members throughout your shift.
  • Lift ~25lbs.
  • Be 18 years old.

If you need accommodations, please alert our team and we will find the position that best fits your needs.

  • Set-Up Crew – EARLY on Friday morning, this is the can-do group that will be onsite to help our Makers get their exhibits ship-shape before the gates open to admit Faire Attendees for the weekend.
  • Information Booth AssistantPeople always have questions about getting around the Faire. You don’t have to know everything, but you do need to be willing to help people find what they are looking for.
  • Hands-on Activity Facilitator – A variety of in depth, hands on workshops will be scheduled throughout the day. You will be helping workshop participants of all ages have fun completing the activities.
  • Welcoming Committee – Support the traffic flow onsite. Help Makers, Sponsors, and Faire Attendees find the right queue lines and directions. You will be outside and on your feet for your shift. This is the first point of contact for Makers, Sponsors, and Faire Attendees arriving to the site. Please welcome them with the excitement of Maker Faire!
  • Gallery Docent – There are a few places in the Faire that will be experiential in nature. Wether it is a fashion show of wearable tech or a sea of light-up jellyfish, Faire attendees will need help finding the best places to view the show or answers to questions about what they are looking at. 
  • Maker AssistantSometimes Makers just need some extra hands. Positions vary! You might be walking around the faire, standing at a booth, and/or lifting and moving boxes (roughly 25lbs).

Friday, Oct. 13th & 20th

Set-Up Crew 7:30AM – 10:30AM 
AM Crew 10:30am – 2:30pm
PM Crew 2:00pm – 6:30pm

Saturday, 14th & 21st

AM Crew 9:30am – 2:30pm
PM Crew 2:00pm – 6:30pm

Sunday, Oct. 15th & 22nd

AM Crew 9:30am – 2:30pm
PM Crew 2:00pm – 6:30pm

As a thank you for all your help you will be receiving a Maker Faire ticket of your own. Please indicate which date you would like to come play when you fill out your Volunteer interest form.

All that cool stuff you’re going to be seeing going on? Yeah. Feel free to get excited! Because you get to come experience it for yourself!

How do I know if I was accepted as a volunteer?

We work really hard to make sure we can accept ALL volunteers. If you signed up, we expect to see you there, so consider your shift confirmed!

What if I want to attend the Faire on Saturday and volunteer on Sunday?

There are many people who do! When you come to enjoy the Faire, you will check in at Volunteer Check-In and confirm your shift and your promise to return. You will then be given your ticket to the Faire. We expect and will be looking forward to seeing you the next day for your shift.

Just a heads up, your volunteer coordinator may or may not ask you to share with all the other volunteers what you saw that absolutely blew your mind when you show up for your shift the next day.

Can I give my tickets away?

Absolutely! Be prepared to become someone’s favorite person!

Will I get more information about my position and being onsite?

YES! The details are moving all the time, but you will get a volunteer overview before the Faire.

I am part of a large group that wants to help, do we all have to sign up?

That’s great! We love groups coming together. EVERYONE in your group will need to complete the volunteer interest form. In the Notes sections please have everyone indicate what group they are a part of.

What if I still have questions?

Start here to find the nitty gritty details like where to stay or how to get there, etc.
If you still have more questions, please email jorozco@make.co.

So. Are you in?

As with any great Maker project, many hands make the work fun.

Mare Island Waterfront Venue

Nestled at the meeting point of San Pablo Bay and the Napa River, just 23 miles north of San Francisco, lies a former naval base with awe-inspiring vistas of the bay, Mt. Tamalpais, and the picturesque Sonoma and Napa Valleys. This island holds a storied past as a hub of naval and industrial shipbuilding activity, making it the perfect setting for a Maker Faire. Today, it hosts a bustling community of 110 businesses, a thriving ferry service, entertainment venues, historical landmarks, and 300 residential areas. Maker Faire will be occurring in 6 buildings, 3000 ft of waterfront esplanade, and more!