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HEADS UP: 10 Reasons Why You Should Attend The Mini Maker Faire On June 23/24

by Michelle Sproule | Mini Maker Faire comes to Vancouver this weekend. It’s a two-day celebration of making and creating that is focused on promoting the ethos of DIY on a large scale. Think of it as “county fair meets science fair meets farmers market meets burning man”. There will be a range of exhibits, workshops, performances, displays, and a myriad of ways that you can get involved to make something yourself. Expect everything from perfume and pyrotechnics to growing walls and book making. There are many, many reasons to attend (for a complete list of Vancouver Mini Maker Faire participants click here), but we’ve put together a top 10 cheat sheet:

The Hackery | The crew at The Hackery subscribe to the motto: “Fix more, buy less.”  Versed in Linux, Apple, and Microsoft systems, this is a team of makers and fixers that you want on speed dial whenever your laptop or LCD stops cooperating. We’ll be cruising by their booth to get acquainted because if (knock on wood) we ever need them, we want them to remember how nice and friendly we were so that they’ll drop everything and come to rescue our panicked asses.

Grow Shrooms | Who doesn’t love shrooms? Mushboo is a concept that uses organic waste and a unique bamboo vessel to grow mushrooms at home. This urban food production system was designed by two Vancouver makers (Igor and Matt) to create an easy and cheap way to enjoy fresh gourmet mushrooms and foster an appreciation and love of growing your own food in an city setting. At Maker Faire the team plans to demonstrate how to use waste to replace plastics, recycle organics and generally look for new ways to experience and enjoy our food.

The Vancouver Tool Library | Sure, the do-it-yourself approach is awesome, but it can stall if you run up against a task requiring a specific tool that isn’t in your shed. The good news for Vancouverites is that we can just scoot over to the Vancouver Tool Library. There, you can borrow what you need and then take it back, saving both coin and clutter. Awesome, eh? We first encountered the VTL at last year’s Maker Faire and we’re looking forward to checking them out again this time around.

Plush | Plush is a shop and work­space located on Main Street that goes by the motto “Love the local”.  The store promotes a DIY indie craft scene by selling the wares made by local creatives. Plush is also known for putting on cool workshops hosted by a rotating cast of Vancouver craft scene personalities, we’re curious to see what these craft queens set up for the Faire. Whatever it is, we’re sure it’ll be fun and imaginative because that’s kinda what they’re all about.

Beehives | This year The Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA) and the Means of Production Artists Raw Resource Collective are joining forces at Maker Faire to exhibit environmental art and wildlife habitat projects. Word has it that they’re planning to demonstrate the building of a traditional bee skep using coil basketry techniques as well as seed bomb construction and a selection of pollinator-friendly flower seeds.

Instagrammery | We’re Instagram junkies so we’re excited to see what Tangible Interaction has up their sleeve for Maker Faire because it’s an Instagram-based project. Apparently, when Faire attendees take and geotag an Instagram photo at the venue, the shot will be projected on to a giant Instagram wall mosaic (via a custom application which constantly searches Instagram for relevant Geotagged photos).

Book Art | We definitely want to see what Rachael Ashe has on the table this time around. Rachael is a Vancouver book arts legend. She works with recycled materials and found objects to create the most amazing three dimensional altered book sculptures (pictured above). Her work has been shown in Toronto, Vancouver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, and the UK, and now…Maker Faire. So there.

DIY Surf Boards | Last year the Wet Coast Surf Co. team decided they wanted to learn how to make surf boards. Instead of sitting around on their bums talking about it, they rented out a shipping container, sourced materials and began shaping their own boards. Not only are they getting pretty good at it, but they are getting also getting pretty inventive with it as well, recycling old boards and rebuilding them with more eco-friendly options. Wet Coast will have some custom boards on display and they’ll be talking about other DIY board building projects, too. Stoked for it.

Woodblocks | We totally want to check out Etchpop! This is a company that offers custom, laser-engraved woodblocks for making your own woodblock prints at home. How cool is that? We’re already planning Christmas card designs.

Photos | Our pals (and Scout contributors) Bastien Doria and Virginie Lamarche (co-founders of the VNB Fine Art Photo Workshops) are bringing 19th century salon style portraiture to to the Marker Faire grounds. Bastien and Virginie are super awesome people and we think you should drop in to their calotype workshop. Get the low down on what to expect here.

June 23+24 | PNE Forum | $17/day pass $27/weekend pass | Details 

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There are 2 comments

  1. It’s a bummer that it costs so much. My kids would LOVE this, but it would be well over $50 just to get the family in the door.