Makers Wanted for Honolulu Mini Maker Faire

The second annual Honolulu Mini Maker Faire is three months away, and organizers are putting out the call to Hawaii makers to participate. Like last year, the event will be held at ‘Iolani School’s Sullivan Center on Saturday, May 9, 2015.

Who is a maker? Well, you could very well be one.

Sure, the label “maker” is often applied to people who work with specialized tools — gearheads,carpenters, circuit benders, and model builders. And to be sure, there are a lot of wires, computer chips and 3-D printers at a Maker Faire (which are held all around the world).

But the maker community embraces anyone with a do-it-yourself attitude, a passion for a skill or craft, and the willingness to share it with others. Nuts about arts and crafts? Love to sew? Make jewelry, or bake? The “maker” tent is a big one, and the greater the variety, the better the Maker Faire.

The first Honolulu Mini Maker Faire featured local drone pilots and Arduino hackers, as well as costumers and knitters.

And the Honolulu event is a showcase for even more than makers. Booths will be available to both startup companies and established businesses that have a particular fondness for the maker community, as well as to non-profit organizations, performers, and workshop presenters.

One difference the Honolulu event will have with some other Maker Faires is a limitation on commercial activity. Rather than selling the things they make, participants are encouraged to focus on sharing their work with and inspiring others. While clubs and makerspaces will no doubt find new members there, but that will simply be the natural and delightful byproduct of meeting and talking at the Honolulu Mini Maker Faire.

If you or a group you belong to might be interested in participating, fill out the Honolulu Mini Maker Faire 2015 sign up form.

If you’re interested in attending this great event, keep an eye on the official website, or like the Facebook page.

Here’s a video recapping the first Honolulu Mini Maker Faire that I put together with footage collected by Dan Isobe and Doug Jeffs:

And here’s a more in-depth conversation about last year’s event on Bytemarks Cafe last March:

Photos courtesy Burt Lum on Flickr.