Every year, thousands of Bay Area residents gather at the Maker Faire to join in the creative camaraderie of artists, hobbyists, scientists, engineers, musicians and other makers of all kinds. This year’s Maker Faire was at the San Mateo Event Center from May 20 to 22.
Artist Alvin Petty, Chic Thrills designer Sierra Mohr and Tapigami creator Danny Scheible were among the thousands of makers at this year’s event.
“The Maker Faire is like Burning Man for kids,” said Petty, who made a small car he’s named the Zazzatron this year. “It’s just this positive energy. Everyone that comes here is polite and curious.”
Mohr, who joined the Maker Faire for the first time this year, designs and makes clothing that features natural dyes of leaves and other botanicals imprinted into the fabric.
Scheible is a regular attendee of the Maker Faire. His main artistic medium is tape, which this year, he used to create an entire cityscape of skyscrapers, trees and water.
“They’re creating the society that I want to be a part of,” Scheible said. “Participants … are not afraid to do and they’re not afraid to fail and that’s the kind of society I want to live in.”
The festival launched in the Bay Area in 2006. An annual Maker Faire also takes place in New York and smaller, independently produced Maker Faires occur around the world. The Maker Faire is produced by Maker Media, a San Francisco-based global platform that connects makers.
