Sebastopol, CA--The slogan "Keep Austin Weird" is a popular one, but more than just a slogan, it summarizes why Austin is such a likeable and unique destination, not only in Texas, but also throughout the South. Well, Austin is about to get even weirder!
The geek-loving, gadget-happy, DIY-fest, known as Maker Faire Austin, is less than two weeks away. Tickets for the Oct. 20 to 21 event are selling fast, and geeks and hackers from across the country (and even overseas) are making their travel plans. To welcome them, Austin Mayor Will Wynn has officially declared the weekend "Maker's Weekend."
"Austin is such a creative, vibrant town, and Maker Faire fits right in to our vibe and spirit," explained Mayor Wynn. "America has such a thirst right now for creative self-expression. We also have an incredible need for out-of-the-box innovation. Maker Faire embodies the best of both of these worlds, and in a way that's smart and fun. Therefore, we couldn't be happier to welcome Maker Faire to Austin and to declare Oct. 20-21, 'Maker's Weekend.'"
At Maker Faire technology meets art, science meets fashion, engineering meets crafting, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. It's the "Frankenstein" of fairs, featuring: cool robots, clever gadgets, backyard inventions, knitted wonders, renegade fashions, cars and bikes like you've never seen before, the occasional fireball, honey-making, iPhone-hacking, clothes-swapping, music-making, and much, much more!
Check out the Maker Faire website for a complete overview of Makers and
scheduled programming. Updates will be taking place over the next few
days:
http://www.makerfaire.com
There are many exciting featured attractions planned at Maker Faire throughout the weekend. Check out these highlights:
- Meet George Hotz, the Rochester Institute of Technology student who published his iPhone hack that enabled the device to work with carriers other than AT&T
- Daily Maker Faire Parade in the Maker Midway led by Austin Cycle Circus at noon each day
- The EepyBird.com Diet Coke & Mentos Fountain Show (4 p.m. daily on the outdoor EepyBird Stage)
- Life-Sized Mouse Trap with hourly performances daily
- Cyclecide Pedal Powered Amusement rides--scheduled all day, everyday
- 999 Eyes Freak Show and THAT Damned Band (daily side shows at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30 and 1:30 with a main stage show at 3:30 on the 999 Eyes Stage)
- Swap-O-Rama-Rama Fashion Show (5 p.m. on Saturday, followed by a special Robot Fashion Show with designs by Brooks Coleman)
- An interactive Art Car Build with Harrod Blank that is a HEYA project made possible by Toyota
- Rocket making and launches (thanks to the folks at Estes-Cox) and The King of Fling Catapult Contest in the outdoor Make LaunchPad area
- Wonderful Maker activities in Building B (The Show Barn); including Fire Arts, Make Pumpkin Play Day, Swap-O-Rama-Rama, Craft Corral, The ShopBot Fabrication area, Austin Children's Museum, Alternative Energy Car Conversions (calcars.org), Electric Vehicles (AustinEV), The Geek Group, Biketown, and more
- The editors of MAKE and CRAFT Magazines will be on hand, as well as several featured contributors. The latest Maker items, including kits, books, magazines and Maker wear, along with book signings, demonstrations and activities will take place every day in Building C (MAKE and CRAFT Labs and the Maker Store). The schedule of author signings and activities will be available on the Maker Faire website, in the Maker Faire Program Guide and onsite
Maker Faire Austin
- When: Oct. 20-21, 2007
- Where: Travis County Expo Center, 7311 Decker Lane
- Hours: Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-5p.m.
For more information about Maker Faire Austin (http://www.makerfaire.com) or to speak with Director Sherry Huss, please contact: Mark Ballard at 212-255-8455 or Mark@rosengrouppr.com.
Special Maker Faire media preview on Friday, Oct. 19, 2007. For information, call 212-255-8455 x 225
Advance Praise
"It's a PG-Rated Burning Man Festival, where a happy crowd of geeks,
gearheads and high school science nerds gathers to watch its creations…the
festival's central principle is radical self-expression. But it is also
inspired by care of the Earth through alternative energy, recycling and
innovation."
– The San Jose Mercury News
About Maker Media
Maker Media is a division of O'Reilly Media devoted entirely to the
growing community of resourceful people who believe that if you can
imagine it, you can make it. Manifested in the pages of Make magazine
(http://www.makezine.com), Craft magazine (www.craftzine.com), and the Hacks book
series (www.hackszine.com), and coming to physical life at the incredible
Maker Faire (www.makerfaire.com) events, Maker Media encourages the
Do-It-Yourself mentality by providing creative inspiration and
instruction.
About O’Reilly
O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.