Photos of last year's Miami Mini Maker Faire by Marsha Halper/Miami Herald
The Miami Mini Maker Faire, a celebration of all things hand-made, returns to Wynwood on Saturday.
For the fair’s second year, organizers say they are expecting at least 2,500 visitors and more than 90 exhibitors at this all-day family-friendly event that will be held at The LAB Miami and LightBox as well as on the street in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood. Expect more of everything, including robots.
“We are expecting many more robots than last year — so many that we are turning the LightBox's main space into a Robotics Pavilion,” said Ric Herrero, co-founder of the local nonprofit MIAMade and organizer of the fair. There will also be two areas for young makers instead of one and two spaces featuring workshops on everything from coding and soldering to design thinking.
The Miami Mini Maker Faire is an all-ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, artisans, inventors, tinkerers, entrepreneurs and educators who get together to show what they make and share what they have learned. The faire features both established and emerging local “makers” specializing in robotics, hardware hacking, 3D printing, art and crafts, urban farming and sustainability and much more.
It all takes place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This year, along with the two indoor venues, organizers are closing off NW 26th Street between 3rd and 5th Avenues for a full-on arts and crafts street festival "and a block party feel," said Herrero.
“Miami has a long tradition of DIY ingenuity and tinkering, but it’s often a challenge for local makers to connect with peers and consumers, and build theirs ideas here. Miami Mini Maker Faire is an opportunity for artisans, engineers, tinkerers, entrepreneurs and educators to get together and share their passions and ideas with the community at large. It is a place to inspire the next generation of makers,” said Herrero.
MIAMade is producing the Faire in association with Maker Media, the Knight Foundation and the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science. To buy tickets, visit makerfairemiami.com.
Read another Miami Heald story on the Maker Movement here.