Meet Your Maker At The Maker Faire

It started out humbly enough: “Make” magazine, published for fans of the do-it-yourself movement, decided to hold an event to celebrate the crafters, designers and builders—or as they like to call them, the “makers”—among us.

Six years later, the Maker Faire is now one of the Bay Area's most popular events, with 100,000 attendees and 800 makers expected--including 10 Palo Alto makers--this weekend at the . 

The Saturday and Sunday event features everything from Burning Man installations to arts-and-crafts booths to the Stanford solar car project. 

"The goal is to be interactive with the makers and really learn from them. It's not your typical conference," said Bridgette Vanderlaan, the event's marketing director. Makers will exhibit their craft in hundreds of individual booths as well as by 30-minute presentations. 

Guest presenters include Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari, at 2 p.m. on Saturday; Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs at 11 a.m. on Sunday; and Adam Savage of Mythbusters at noon on Sunday.

Check out high school robotic competitions, model warships playing battleship in the pond with BBs and these spectacular Palo Alto makers: 

FabMo, Inc. Fabric & More rescues exquisite discontinued designer materials, encouraging creative reuse. Many fun projects promote creativity & concepts of repurposing or upcycling. Take-away projects include hand puppets, greeting cards, more.  

Solar Electric Robot Chariot This robot walks just like we do, with a natural knee, leg, and foot motion, powered by solar energy. All natural walking motion is achieved through cams and linkages. Built in a garage from scrap materials, this robot lives on sunlight.

The Willow Village  The Willow Village is an interactive community project using sustainable, natural materials, and inspired by “Double Take,” the Palo Alto Art Center’s 2011 site-specific installation by environmental sculptor, Patrick Dougherty. 

...and more!

For a full list of makers, including their specialty, place of origin and where their booth will be located during the event, visit the Maker Faire website.

To beat the traffic, Caltrain is recommending event-goers take the trains to the Hillsdale Station. Shuttle buses from the station will be offered on both days.

Maker Faire organizers are hosting an  at the Event Center on Friday, giving students a preview of some of the exhibits as this year's Maker Faire is set up for the weekend. That event is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and sign-ups are required.

What: The 2011 Maker Faire
Where: , 1346 Saratoga Dr., San Mateo
When: Saturday, May 21, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, May 22, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: Tickets are $10 to $25 per day; click here for details