Columbia Mini Maker Faire Held Saturday

Take the family out for a fun-filled day of creativity at the first Columbia Mini Maker Faire at EdVenture Children's Museum. 

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

The festival features a variety of activities including do-it-yourself technology, laser light graffiti, robotics, recycled art and more. 

Read the full release below.

 South Carolina’s First Maker Faire Brings DIY Tech, Crafts, Art, Rockets and Robots 

Columbia Mini Maker Faire, an all-ages festival of DIY tech enthusiasts, crafters, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers and artists, will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sat. June 1, 2013 at EdVenture Children’s Museum. South Carolina’s first Mini Maker Faire will give local “makers” an opportunity to share their talent and inspire others to explore their inner inventor.  

Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, the Columbia Mini Maker Faire is a localized version of the national Maker Faire which host 90,000 visitors in San Mateo each year.

“It’s an opportunity to celebrate the act of making things and how making and understanding how something works can lead to invention and innovation, said Wayne Thornley, director of marketing at EdVenture. After seeing multiple Mini Maker Faires across the country, we knew that we must bring this unique and eye-opening DIY gathering to the Midlands.”

The Columbia Mini Maker Faire will feature:

• Autonomous NERF Blaster- Get a sneak peek at the upcoming book “Build Your Own Autonomous NERF Blaster” by Bryce Bigger. Pick the author’s brain and get a glimpse of facial detection schemes leading up to a full-bore robotic sentry NERF Blaster. 
• Build a Computer from Scratch Workshop - Learn how to install and connect common computer components to build a working computer.
• Doodle Sculpt- Learn the process of turning a photograph or drawing into a 3D printed designer object.
• Frisbee Throwing Robots – Columbia and Charleston Robotics Teams will battle using robots that throw Frisbees at a target.
• Gumball Drum Machine – A fun and creative way to teach programming skills to children. 
• Ham Make – Learn a secret language in dits and dahs or make a QSL card.    
• Laser Light Graffiti- Automatic servo light-graffiti setup is able to move lasers in time with long-exposure photography to create simple drawings.
• Marble Roller Coasters- Watch as STEMS magnet at North Spring Elementary School designs and builds roller coasters from craft sticks and found materials.
• Mushrooms & Terrariums – Learn how to make and care for a terrarium.
• Outside the Box Guitars- Musicians collaborate on handmade, hand-illuminated cigar box guitars.
• Raspberry Pi & Arduino Workshops – Discover the two most popular DIY oriented microcontroller platforms on the market.
• Recycled Art- Local artists transform found materials into abstract sculptures, whimsical items and silly creatures. 
• RETHINK Contest – 30 local school winners (K-12) will showcase their inventions made from found materials and recyclable products.
• Sketch Up & 3D Printing Workshop – Learn tips and tricks for 3D printing and explore Thingiverse, Shapeways and the new wide world of open source.
• Squishy Circuits – Watch as LED’s illuminate when inserted into play dough.
• Trimensional Robotics Demonstration – See the NAO Humanoid Robot as well as parts and pieces made for robots by robots.
• Zombie Dolls – Original, Handcrafted dolls that come with an adoption certificate complete with their own re-birthday and unique name.

Columbia Mini Maker Faire is presented by EdVenture in collaboration with IT-oLogy and sponsored by Midlands Tech.      

Admission to the Columbia Mini Maker Faire is $11.50 per person and includes museum exploration. Free for EdVenture members. Purchase tickets at the door. Food and drink will be for sale at The Green Fork Café located inside of EdVenture.