Maker Faire Westport record-breaking results

The seventh annual Maker Faire Westport held on April 21 broke its own records by more than tripling its footprint, nearly doubling its number of makers to 200 (up from just over 100 in 2017) and seeing attendance of 13,500, a 30 percent increase from 2017.

“We continue to be impressed with the quality of the innovative and creative people in Connecticut and beyond. As they inspire our attendees to learn and grow, we see the impact in our communities. Schools, libraries and businesses all benefit from the energy that comes from seeing what others have done,” said Mark Mathias, founder and co-chair of Maker Faire Westport and president of Remarkable STEAM.

“Our continued expansion into multiple stages, a larger footprint and more attendees means that we continue to reach more people, which grows the influence we see in our state.  It”™s clear there is a need and an appetite for people to grow not only themselves, but their community,” said Alex Giannini, co-chair of Maker Faire Westport and manager of Experiential Learning at the Westport Library.

The following were selected by a panel of judges for their impressive products, projects and designs on display: CJ”™s 3D Handmade Jewelry; Swim ”˜Duino; Pink Rhubarb; Vorpal the Hexpod; Gustave Whitehead 1901 Airplane Half-Size Replica; Stepcraft USA (CNC machine); NCC School of Art, Architecture and Design; Myrmidon Dagorhir Renaissance Village; and PlasmaBot.

The event was produced by Remarkable STEAM Inc., a Connecticut organization that promotes innovation and creativity in the areas of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) in partnership with the Westport Library.