Calling all crafters, artists, inventors, engineers, startups, garage scientists, tinkerers, science club members and Philly creatives: This Sunday, our city, once known as the “Workshop of the World,” will be hosting its first ever Mini Maker Faire, a celebration and ode to the art of making.
The event will be an opportunity for makers of all kinds to connect with each other across different fields and to connect with Philadelphia’s manufacturers, artists, inventors and innovators who have the capital and resources that folks need to launch their startups, businesses, products and projects.
Both the Faire and its partner, the Pennovation Center, share the same goal: to help Philadelphia flourish as a hub of innovation and technology. The Maker Movement, which originated in San Francisco Bay Area in 2006, hopes to ignite a spirit of exploration, learning, DIY and curiosity. In the 12 years since its inception, it has created a network of opportunities and people across the world.
You can expect to see anything and everything at the Maker Faire: VR, drones, electronics, textiles, fashion, biotech, shows, films, rockets, food, 3D printers, eco-friendly technology, tools, odd machines, glass, toys and more. There will even be a robot called Hedgehog, designed by NASA engineers that explores extraterrestrial worlds in our solar system.
Student, engineer and entrepreneur Raquel Dunoff will be one such maker participating in the Faire this weekend. As a rising sophomore at Olin College, she uses women in STEM as inspiration for fashion on her online store, Trendsetter Gear, which will launch this weekend at the Faire. Each item the brand sells is inspired by a female role model like Rosalind Franklin, Jane Cooke Wright, Sau Lan Wu, and Mae Jemison. There are anatomical heart necklaces, glucose molecule rings,
“I always struggled to find female inspiration in STEM,” Dunoff says. “So I wanted to create a resource to help other people find that connection more easily.”
At the Faire, expect cool ideas that are taking life around our city, and participate in the day’s happenings via workshops, demonstrations, and hands-on activities. Who knows? You might come up with your next big idea to change the world, right in your own city.
Philadelphia Mini Maker Faire, Sunday, June 24th, 10:00 AM- 6:00 PM, $5-$20, Pennovation Center, 3401 Grays Ferry Ave.