The 2012 Bay Area Maker Faire is this Weekend!

Maker Faire is this weekend, May 19th and 20th in San Mateo, CA. It showcases creative and resourceful people in the areas of science and technology, engineering, food, and arts & crafts. I LOVE this event and can't recommend attending strongly enough. It's for adults and kids alike. There's quite literally something for everyone.

As my friend Gordon Garb said on Facebook last year: "It's like a County Fair for geeks, nerds, hackers, burners, makers, doers, thinkers, rocketeers."

Photos I took at last year's Maker Faire 2011

I know people choose DIY (do it yourself) for fun, to save money, because there are no local professionals who offer the product or service they are looking for, or because what they are looking for doesn't exist yet. Whatever the reason, IMO, the best part about DIY is that it forces us to use our imaginations, to take on new challenges and reach out to others for help or sometimes just a little reassurance. For me at least, the process of trying something new has enriched my life in so many ways. It's how I've discovered what I'm good at and often, laughably, what I'm bad at.

So why am I telling you about the Maker Faire? Because it's a celebration of three things I love: Imagination, creativity and community. Last year was the second time I attended Maker Faire as a guest blogger for Fired Up Productions. In the Bay Area it's held each year at the San Mateo Fairgrounds. If you're not sure what it's all about just CLICK HERE to read 2010's recap with lots of photos or CLICK HERE for 2011's recap.

Dates and Times
Saturday - May 19th, 2012 from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Sunday - May 20th, 2012 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

There are also weekend and family passes available but for one person, per day, here are the listed rates on the Maker Faire Website where you can also pre-purchase tickets to attend:

Adult Single Day
$27.50 + $2.50 fee - Advance price. Prices will go up at the door.
Valid for entry on either Saturday or Sunday


Student* Single Day - Advance price. Prices will go up at the door.
$16.50 + $1.90 fee
*Ages 13-21 with photo student ID. Valid for entry on either Saturday or Sunday.


Youth* Single Day - Advance price. Prices will go up at the door.
$12.00 + $1.65 fee
*Ages 4-12, children 3 & under are free. Valid for entry on either Saturday or Sunday

Parking Option 1
Public parking is available at the San Mateo County Event Center. Parking will be $20 per day.

Parking Option 2
Free offsite parking options will also be available at the Franklin Templeton parking lot on Saratoga. You will need to plan for a 15-minute walk. See the Getting to Bay Area Maker Faire by Car page and Parking page for more details.

Parking Option 3
We've got more than 4,000 free parking spaces (and lower priced parking options) served by free shuttles running every 20-30 minutes. Please visit the parking map and information page for more details on where to park at Maker Faire. Click on the blue "P's" for parking details.