Shelburne Farms hosts Champlain Mini Maker Faire Oct. 4-5 ChampBot Challenge featured

The third-annual Champlain Mini Maker Faire is the perfect place for people of all ages to learn and explore. This year’s event will feature over 90 Maker displays, presentations, workshops, and performances on October 4 and 5 at Shelburne Farms.

One of the many exciting parts of the event is the ChampBot Challenge, in which participants will use homemade “ChampBots” to navigate a series of nautical obstacles and challenges, including trying to light a target on fire, along the shoreline of Lake Champlain.

Other projects include tinkering at the Montshire Museum’s Pop-Up Science Tent, UVM Alternative Energy Racing Organization’s CleanSpeed vehicle, drone flying lessons, a hexcopter made by high school students, dark space art installations, robots galore, book arts, and much more.

“This year’s event will feature dozens of amazing Makers who will share their projects and provide interactive workshops, presentations and performances,” says Executive Event Producer Doug Webster. “The great thing about Maker Faires is that they bring together smart, creative people and their unique projects in a setting where they can interact with each other and the public. This provides a platform for learning, fosters collaboration, and helps spark new ideas.”

The Maker Movement is on the rise across America. Attendance at the National Maker Faire is up 62 percent from 2009-2013, 57 percent of U.S. adults consider themselves Makers, and the White House held its first Maker Faire this past June.

Access to resources such as maker spaces, open-source technology, and crowdfunding platforms are creating opportunities for startups and small businesses, which are then creating jobs and generating revenue for local economies.

A Maker Faire brings together families and individuals to celebrate a do-it-yourself mindset and showcase all kinds of incredible projects. The Champlain Mini Maker Faire will be held at the Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms on Oct. 4, 10am-5pm; and Oct. 5, 11am-4pm.

The event is sponsored by Meach Cove Farms, Vermont Technology Council, Next Generation Manufacturing, DesignBook, Vermont Technical College, United Technologies Aerospace Systems, the Vermont Community Foundation, and more. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.champlainmakerfaire.com.