If you and your kids love all things new, unique and educational, don’t miss the Dover Mini Maker Faire!
My family has gone every year for the last 3 or 4 years and it keeps getting better each year. You would think that my son, now a teen, wouldn’t want to go to the “children’s museum” for this event, but he is looking forward to it even more this year after seeing all the new exhibits and activities!
Click the image to learn more and get tickets!
What is Maker Faire?
Maker Faire is a gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and who love sharing what they can do. From engineers to artists to scientists to crafters, Maker Faire is a venue for these “makers” to show hobbies, experiments, projects.
We call it the Greatest Show (& Tell) on Earth – a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness.
Glimpse the future and get inspired!
The boys at the Dover Mini Maker Faire in 2014
We have been 3 years in a row and have LOVED it! We keep going back- it gets bigger and better each year!
Check out my post from 2015 HERE.
The full schedule for the 5th annual Dover Mini Maker Faire on Saturday, August 26, has been announced by Faire organizer, the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire. The day long Faire will include workshops, hands-on demonstrations by over 65 Makers, 11 eclectic food vendors, live music and roaming Ghostbusters!
The Dover Mini Maker Faire takes place in 4 locations in downtown Dover, NH: Inside the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, the Upper and Lower Henry Law Park, and across the Cocheco River at One Washington. All locations are within walking distance of each other.
A few food and beverage highlights of the Faire include 3oz beer pours for sale by 7th Settlement Brewery, Mac n’ Cheese pies from Northeast Pies, avocado fries from Curb Appeal Meals, and Cholados, which are a Colombian dessert in which shaved ice is topped with fruit, condensed milk and crunchy chocolate, provided by chefs from Rincon Colombiano Restaurant.
Eight workshops are scheduled throughout the day, all included with Faire admission. “Making Without Breaking the Bank” is led by Manchester Maker Ken Jaggard as he invites you to explore how scrap materials, recycled, up-cycled and common household items can be used in lots of ways to create many projects including tools to help you solder, melt glass, cast pewter, make buttons, charms, gears and mechanisms.
Check out the 3D printed Fidget Spinners:
Animal Origami with Claire has a session for children ages 3-6 with parents to make a puppy and bunny, and another session for the older kids and grownups to make a talking dinosaur or the Museum’s own Big Blue Crab.
Back by popular demand is the Egg Drop Creations challenge where guests attempt to create a crash-proof design for their eggs, which are then launched from the museum’s roof at the end of the faire.
Emily Drouin from EPLIS Comics, illustrator and co-founder of Kids Con New England, will be offering a drop-in “Learn Cartooning and Creating Comics” workshop all day.
Museum educators will be leading a workshop on how to make your own aluminum foil circuit light-up work of art. Also on hand for experimentation is the Makey-Makey lemon piano.
Marjorie MacLeod from DelMac Designs will offer a workshop on how to stamp silverware to make cheese markers, keychains and more.
Brian Bessette from the Freedom Café in Durham will host a 45-minute coffee cupping seminar and tasting. Participants will learn about the different flavor profiles of various fair trade and ethically sources coffees.
Live music will be offered by classic rock jam band Beef Stu as well as a local rock band playing popular covers and their own music, Who’s Bella, both appearing on the Dover Rotary Arts Pavilion throughout the day.
Don’t miss the Paper Clay Experience!
“All of that is of course on top of the Makers who are presenting hands-on activities and demonstrations,” shared Neva Cole, Children’s Museum of New Hampshire’s Communications Director. “Here at the museum or goal is to actively engage families in hands-on discovery and we’re trying to inspire the next generation of innovators and creative thinkers. The Dover Mini Maker Faire is a great opportunity to do just that.”
Tickets to the Faire are on sale online now for $10 through Friday, August 25. Tickets at the door are $12. Kids ages 5 and under are free. The Children’s Museum of NH’s regular exhibits will not be available during the Faire, which runs from 10am-4pm.
The museum thanks it’s dedicated Dover Mini Maker Faire sponsors including Velcro USA Inc., Fidelity Investment’s Unique College Investing Plan, NHPTV and STEM From the Start, Alexander Technology Group, Prime Buchholz, Albany Engineered Composites, Beswick Engineering, The Rowley Agency, Inc., Holy Rosary Credit Union, Chinburg Properties, Leone, McDonnell & Roberts and Martel Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
GO HERE for more information!
Hope to see you Saturday!
