Maker Faire Press Releases
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MAKER FAIRE RETURNS TO AUSTIN!

DIY MAKERS, PROGRESSIVE TECHIES, OLD-FASHIONED AND INDIE CRAFTERS, MAD SCIENTISTS, QUIRKY MUSICIANS AND MANY MORE GATHER TO CELEBRATE THE MAKER MOVEMENT

"At first blush...this festival, sponsored by Make magazine, is a gathering place of pyromaniacs and noise junkies, the multiply pierced and the extensively tattooed. But wander a while, and the showy surface gives way to a wondrous thing: the gathering of folks from all walks of life who blend science, technology, craft and art to make things goofy and grand."
-- New York Times

AUSTIN, TX (October 1, 2008) — The world's premiere DIY (Do-It-Yourself) event will be back in Austin on October 18th and 19th for round two. Last year, over 20,000 people from across the state, nation and beyond invaded Austin, Texas for the city's first Maker Faire. This year, Maker Faire is coming back to the Travis County Expo Center and organizers are already expecting double the attendance and over 400 Makers are scheduled to show off their inventions from robots to crafts to food and more...

Put together by Make Magazine and Craft Magazine, Maker Faire celebrates things people create themselves - from electronic gizmos that would make James Bond jealous, to "slow made" foods and homemade clothes that would make Martha Stewart swoon. The event is a non-stop "wow-fest" where surprises and inspiration are as ubiquitous as the festival air.

"At the surface, Maker Faire is a fun event for people of all ages," explained Event Director Sherry Huss. "But more than just a weekend of creative entertainment, we want people 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"

Along with hundreds of Makers displaying their unique creations, specific event highlights from this year's Austin Maker Faire will include RoboGames, rocket making and launching, Edible Austin's Food Maker Pavilion, exciting new alternative vehicles and a sustainable village. EepyBird will be showing off it's new Diet Coke and Mentos Mega Fountains and Maker Faire favorite, the Life-Sized Mouse Trap is not to be missed. There will be Maker Music, a fantastic evening program including fire arts on Saturday, and special speakers throughout the weekend including Col. Joe Kittinger, "The Man Who Fell to Earth - Skydiving from 30,000 Feet"; Dr. Gary Marcus, a cognitive neuroscientist at New York University and author of "Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind"; Patrick Buckley, The Hungry Scientist; Benderella, Circuit Bending, Biology and travels to India; and so much more...

Many more headlining activities to be added in the weeks ahead...

Preliminary event sponsors include Hyundai Motor Company, Microsoft.net Micro Framework, Google, Make: Television, CLIF BAR & Co, Geek Squad, Freelancers Union, ShopBot Tools, Inc., Singer Sewing Co, Yahoo! and Whole Foods Market.

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For more information, visit www.makerfaire.com

About Maker Faire

Maker Faire is the premier event for grassroots American innovation. The event started in San Mateo, California in 2006 and expanded to Austin, Texas in 2007. Held annually in each of these locations, the event may expand elsewhere in the future. Maker Faire is supported by Make Magazine and Craft 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.