ORLANDO, Fla. — If you're looking for hands-on activities this weekend, there's a festival that could also make you smarter.
- 10,000 expected to attend Maker Faire Orlando
- 'Makers' create gadgets but also textiles, types of food
- Maker Faire will have 300 exhibits over 3 fairground halls
"We've been making things since we were tiny," Mike Wilhelm told us while he and his brother, Ryan, were setting up for Maker Faire Orlando. "The world's kind of obsessed with consumerism right now, and we like to make stuff instead."
Inspired by other "makers," the Wilhelm brothers started a You Tube channel called Physics Anonymous.
"We had two nieces that we wanted to get into hands-on stuff," Ryan said. "We figured if they were our only audience, we'd be in good shape."
The guys create and build things such as a 22 mph electric skateboard, a giant Lego man made out of dollar-store foam board, a "durable" arcade machine, and a camera that takes super HD pictures of teeny tiny things.
Although the two-day fest is tech-heavy, Maker Faire is more than engineering.
"It's people who are making chocolate, who are making soaps, who are making interesting textile things," said Maker Faire Orlando show producer Nick Georgoudiou.
The event is expected to draw 10,000 attendees and includes 300 local exhibits throughout three air-conditioned exhibit halls and some green space at the Central Florida Fairgrounds.
Maker Faire Orlando
- Saturday, Nov. 10 and Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018
- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (both days)
- Central Florida Fairgrounds (4603 W Colonial Dr., Orlando, 32808)
- Free on-site parking
- Variety of food choices are available for purchase
- One-day tickets: Presale youth and student $10, presale adult $15