Maker Faire® Milwaukee announces second-annual event to return to Wisconsin State Fair Park September 26 & 27

MakerFaire Milwaukee

The second-annual Maker Faire Milwaukee will return to Wisconsin State Fair Park on Saturday, September 26, and Sunday, September 27, 2015, the same weekend as Wisconsin State Fair Park’s Harvest Fair.

This free regional event is produced by the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum and Milwaukee Makerspace, and is presented in collaboration with MAKE magazine and sponsored by Brady Corporation. Maker Faire Milwaukee aims to inspire, inform, connect and entertain in a family-friendly gathering that highlights the do-it-yourself spirit of our community and celebrates innovation in technology, education, science, arts, crafts, engineering, food, sustainability, and more.

In 2014, 131 Mini Maker Faires, Featured Maker Faires and Flagship Maker Faires were held around the world. More than 35,000 people attended the 2014 inaugural event in Milwaukee, making it the largest Featured Maker Faire in the United States, second only to Flagship Maker Faires in San Mateo, Calif. and New York City.

New additions for the 2015 event include expansion of hall space in the Exposition Center for the event’s hands-on workshops for children and adults, demonstrations, speakers and exhibitors that showcase 3D printing, electronics, robotics, laser cutting, soldering, lasers, alternative energy, blacksmithing, indie crafts, and more; and an extended two-day Design and Build Challenge sponsored by GE – Maker Faire Milwaukee’s team-based competition that showcases the talent and creativity of area makers.

“Innovation is at the core of Brady’s success over the last 100 years,” said Kelley Yunk, Director of WPS Americas Sales & Marketing Effectiveness for Brady Corporation. “We hope that the Maker Movement empowers a whole new generation with the understanding that they have something unique to contribute to the quest to find innovative solutions to problems in their communities and workplaces.”

“The Maker Movement is a remarkable initiative – helping shape how we live, work and learn,” said Fern Shupeck, executive director of the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum. “The Maker Movement has been particularly meaningful for young children who are learning new skills and experimenting through hands-on experiences. We are honored to present this free educational platform with our Maker Faire Milwaukee event partners.”

Maker Faire Milwaukee welcomes makers of all kinds to exhibit at the event; the Call for Makers opens on May 25, 2015. More information about exhibiting, volunteering or sponsoring is available at www.makerfairemilwaukee.com.

Maker Faire Milwaukee is independently organized and operated under license from Maker Media, Inc.

About the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum and Milwaukee Makerspace

Milwaukee’s Betty Brinn Children’s Museum serves 240,000 children and adults annually and provides year-round maker programs in its Be A Maker space, a communal workshop environment that invites visitors to explore a broad range of projects using a variety of materials, tools, digital resources and technologies that encourage children to experiment, learn new skills and share their accomplishments. In addition to the Be A Maker space and Maker Faire Milwaukee, which is independently organized and operated under license from Maker Media, Inc., the Museum’s maker initiative includes workshops with guest makers and other DIY-inspired events and activities for visitors.

The Milwaukee Makerspace is a 16,000-square-foot collaborative workshop in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood where members – professionals, hobbyists, artists, crafters and students – share their tools, knowledge and their passion for making.

About Brady Corporation

Brady Corporation is an international manufacturer and marketer of complete solutions that identify and protect premises, products and people. Brady’s products include high-performance labels and signs, safety devices, and printing systems and software. Founded in 1914, the company has a diverse customer base in electronics, telecommunications, manufacturing, electrical, construction, medical and a variety of other industries. Brady’s fiscal 2014 sales were approximately $1.22 billion. The company is headquartered in Milwaukee and as of July 31, 2014, employed approximately 7,200 people in its worldwide businesses. Brady stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BRC. More information is available on the Internet at www.bradycorp.com.

About Maker Faire

Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth – a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker Movement. It’s a place where people show what they are making, and share what they are learning.

Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters to homesteaders to scientists to garage tinkerers. They are of all ages and backgrounds. The aim of Maker Faire is to entertain, inform, connect and grow this community.

The original Maker Faire event was held in San Mateo, CA and in 2014 celebrated its ninth annual show with some 1,100 makers and 130,000 people in attendance. World Maker Faire New York, the other flagship event, has grown in four years to 600+ makers and 80,000 attendees. Detroit, Kansas City, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Orlando, Silver Spring, Paris, Rome, Oslo, Trondheim, Tokyo, Newcastle (UK), and Shenzhen are the home of larger-scale, “featured” Maker Faires and over 120 community-driven, independently organized Mini Maker Faires are now being produced around the United States and the world.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

Recent Press Releases by Betty Brinn Children’s Museum

Families are invited to celebrate the holidays with Betty Brinn Children’s Museum

Nov 4th, 2024 by Betty Brinn Children’s Museum

The Museum will host two family-friendly events this December: Cocoa + Claus and New Year’s Eve at Noon

Betty Brinn Children’s Museum Announces New Board Chair

Jun 17th, 2024 by Betty Brinn Children’s Museum

Andy Keller appointed Board Chair.

Betty Brinn Children’s Museum Announces New Vice President of Marketing and Communications

Apr 15th, 2024 by Betty Brinn Children’s Museum

Stacy Bartsch joins Museum’s Senior Leadership team and will drive the marketing initiatives.