Call for makers for the 2013 Hampton Roads Mini Maker Faire!

Posted on May 6, 2013 by telmnstr

Ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys — we’re ready for signups on the (drumroll) 2013 Hampton Roads Mini Maker Faire! 2012 was a beautiful event, and 2013 is only going to be that much more exciting! The core staff of the Hampton Roads Mini Maker Faire have been busy setting things up for the 2013 faire and we’re proud to announce that we’re ready to start registration for makers!

The official form is accessible HERE

Who is invited to be a maker? People who build things and create things! People who have crafty implementations of things they wish to share! At the 2012 Norfolk Mini Maker Faire we had software developers, embedded systems, rockets, electric vehicles, self-made carnival rides, wood craft, metal craft, quad copters, musical instruments, knitting, and much much more! The Hampton Roads Mini Maker Faire is about creating things, and sharing information or demonstration with the public.

There is no cost to be a maker. There is a small fee for the makers that are selling creations — and that is related to city tax.

Once again attendance for both makers and guests is free. The way we pay for the event is by sponsorship, so if you are interested in sponsoring the event please check out the sponsorship information package linked on the right hand side of this page!

Feedback From Attendees of Norfolk Mini Maker Faire

Posted on October 22, 2012 by beau

Thank you for helping to support the Norfolk Mini Makers Faire.

The event was a smashing success and if you did not know it, this was the first Maker Faire in Virginia as well as for our area. Once again this proved the area is full of many different and diverse creative types and we really appreciate your support in helping to be part of this success.

Some Quick Stats:
Total # of Makers on day of event: 46
Total Inside Attendance: 1,400+
First Aid: 1 Band-Aid

The inside and outside areas of the event were a bustle of activity and the facebook page has pictures being shared by attendees, makers and staff. https://www.facebook.com/MakerFaireNorfolk

With that said we are looking forward to next years Maker Faire and would like to get your feedback. While this went successfully for the first one, we know we can make it even better. If you would please take a brief moment to fill this survey out it would greatly benefit us (and give you a chance to tell us from your perspective how things went).

Survey Link: http://beauturner.wufoo.com/forms/norfolk-mini-maker-faire-2012-attendee-feedback/

Thanks again and looking forward to more AWESOME from each of you!

It’s almost upon us!

Posted on October 19, 2012 by jfranklin

It’s been a while in the making, and now the time has come. Tomorrow morning at 10:00am some of the area’s most creative minds will be gathered to inspire, and entertain you. We’ve put something together that we hope you all will enjoy, and leave you wanting to build, change, and explore on your own. Perhaps we’ll even see some of you presenting next year.

The Norfolk Mini Maker Faire will be open to the public from 10:00am – 5:00pm on October 20th, and registration will be open until 9:00am. Registration is free, and not required, but does enter you in a drawing for prizes from Make, and O’Reilly Media.

Maker Faire Event Location: Norfolk Scope, 201 East Brambleton Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23510

We have maker exhibits both inside, and outside of the building, so be sure you don’t miss anything.

Parking for the event is available at nearby garages, directly across the street from the event as well as the open field directly across from the Scope. Cost varies based on time, etc…

You may also park at the lightrail station at Harbor Park, then take the train (The Tide) to Monticello station. Just one block over from The Scope.

We hav received notice that one of the tunnels to get from Hampton to Norfolk will be closed on Friday evening and over the weekend (leaving Norfolk back to Hampton is fine at any time). For those unfamiliar, this is the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel 64 Southbound. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) lists alternative routes as the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel or the James River Bridge (depending on where you are coming from).

We look forward to seeing you there.

Maker Registration Closed

Posted on October 17, 2012 by jfranklin

Thank you all for your submissions. We’ve heard from some really awesome groups. At this time we will not be accepting any more applications to appear as a maker for 2012. We have reached capacity! Attendee registration, on the other hand, will be open until early Saturday morning.

Remember, registration is free, and while you don’t have to register to attend, you won’t be included in the door prize drawings if you don’t register.

We look forward to seeing everyone, makers, and attendees alike, this Saturday October 20th.

Maker & Sponsor: ShopBot

Posted on October 11, 2012 by telmnstr

ShopBot

At the Norfolk Mini Maker Faire ShopBot is bringing the awesome! They are bringing some of their beautiful CNC machines. For those unfamiliar with CNC machines, in the case of the ShopBot a router tool is driven on 3 axis under computer control to cut the designs set on the computer. They come in multiple sizes, are absolutely beautiful and the company is located in the Raleigh-Durham area a few minutes away!

Here is a good video showing a shopbot being used to produce custom guitars, and the playlist will carry into STEM use and other people creating things with ShopBots! It’s even more fun watching the CNC routers in person so come check out ShopBot at the Norfolk Mini Maker Faire on Oct 20th!

Maker Minute: Solar Steve

Posted on October 6, 2012 by telmnstr

What could possibly be better than a super low cost solution for turning solar energy into electricity? Check out this video shot by Paul Chin Jr. during the Granby Street Experience of “Solar Steve” talking about his creation! Interested in learning more ahead of time? Visit www.zenmanenergy.org!

A word from your Norfolk Mini Maker Faire hosts…

Posted on October 5, 2012 by telmnstr

Hello everyone! It’s been a wild time leading up to what is going to be an absolutely amazing first Norfolk Mini Maker Faire! This is Hampton Road’s first large scale DIY festival, and so far the list of Makers is simply amazing! In running the 757 Labs hackerspace/makerspace, we meet a pretty good cross section of people in Hampton Roads that make things, but it’s no comparison to all of the great people that have contacted us so far interested in demonstrating things they are working on.

We have quite a bit of space, so we can squeeze in more Makers that may have just recently heard about the event.

On the topic of spreading the word, being the first DIY festival of it’s kind in the Hampton Roads area brings us to the challenge of spreading the word. If you could, please tell your friends about the Norfolk Mini Maker Faire! Word has spread far and wide, but we don’t want to leave anyone out!

You can download and print our flyers:
Half page flyer (to be cut in half)

Full page flyer for 8.5″ x 11″

Also, don’t forget to like us on Facebook and Google+ and invite your friends!

Planning to attend? Please register for free tickets to the event! This also qualifies you to win prizes from the awesome Makershed!

Maker Profile: Fedora Linux

Posted on October 5, 2012 by telmnstr

Fedora Linux is a fast, stable, and powerful operating system for everyday use built by a worldwide community of friends. It’s completely free to use, study, and share. What is more DIY than software literally written by people from nearly every country in our world? From large data centers full of servers that power the many of the top websites and companies in the world down to hobbyist users, Linux has been making an impact for years. Meet advocates representing the Fedora project at the Norfolk Mini Maker Faire! Want to get a head start (and perhaps download the latest free copy of Fedora Linux?) Check out their website at fedoraproject.org.

Maker Minute: North Street Labs

Posted on October 4, 2012 by telmnstr

North Street Labs is an amazing local hackerspace/makerspace located in Portsmouth Virginia. Their creations have taken them to New York City to compete in Red Bull’s Creation challenge. They will be at the Norfolk Mini Maker Faire showing some of their awesome creations live and in person! Paul Chin Jr. caught up with the team from North Street Labs at the Granby Street Experience, and brings you this sneak peek at what to what to expect! Want to know more about North Street Labs? Check out their webpage at www.northstreetlabs.org.

Maker: 757 Comic & Cartoon Creators

Posted on October 4, 2012 by telmnstr

What could be better than a local group surrounding the writing and art behind creating comics, comic books, cartoons, manga, graphic novels, or any other sequential art form? The 757CCC is a Meetup group where comics are created! Members include amateurs, hobbyists, and professionals. See them practice their craft live at the 2012 Norfolk Mini Maker Faire! Perhaps you too can unleash your creativity in this popular art form! Interested in the 757CCC’s monthly meetings? Visit their meetup group at www.meetup.com/757ccc!