A visit to the Maker Faire 2018

The Maker Faire UK is a celebration of creativity and invention. It takes place at the Life Science Centre in Newcastle and brings together hackers, crafters, coders, and DIYers. People who love to invent and make things and want to share their passion with others. Read on to find out more.

We love visiting the Maker Faire when it makes its annual visit to the Life Science Centre in Newcastle Upon Tyne. You never know what you are going to find around the next corner. You might bump into a dalek or a dragon. The one thing you can be sure of is that you will find plenty to inspire you. It may even encourage you to go out and make something yourself.

When you enter the Maker Faire you notice the buzz of excitement and energy in the place. Makers stand next to their inventions waiting to tell you all about them. The place is busy and full of people all wanting see  what is going on. There are plenty of chances to try your hands at, traditonal crafts, hi-tech hacks and electoric soldering. It feels a bit like a futuristic science fair. The Maker Faire shows that the spirit of innovation is alive and well. People of all ages are busy creating and making things and love this chance to show off their creations.

The Maker Faire 2018

Outside the Life Science Centre

On the approach to the Life Science Centre we saw a number of strange looking vehicles outside. After getting our tickets the first thing we did was to go out and investigate. Most noticable were the two dragon like creations. Rustang Sally and Clampasaurus are the creations of the Mutoid Waste Company.  They both made an appearance in the London Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony. It must be great fun to drive these beasts.

We also found the Steamroadsters, these steam powered penny fathings look amazing. They can actually be ridden as well and at various times over the day demonstrations are given. I bet they are very impressive when in action.

A scrapyard safari, beasts make from old bikes were wandering around. I caught a photo when they had a brief rest break. They look really realistic when they are moving around. They are strange to see, you can almost imagine they are a pack of animals.

Outside we also saw Sherwood Carving who were busy creating a bear out of a log with a chain saw. It was pretty amazing to see the bear taking shape and when we went back a little later it was being painted. These wooden creations are really realistic, look at the faces on the owls.

Read more: A visit to Living North Live

Inside the Maker Faire

Going back inside the Maker Faire there was pleny to see. The two floors are packed with enthusiastic people showing off their makes. Make sure you investigate all the areas or you might miss some. The areas are quite busy and it can be hard to see some of the exhibits. If you take your time and walk round slowly you should be able to see everything. There is so much to see and do it is hard to take it all in.  It is a bustling mix of people, daleks and robots under colourful bunting.  The aim is to show off innovation and this is done really well.

You will find a mix of robots. The high tech daleks, robots from robot wars battling it out and simple easy to make robot kits that you can take home and make yourself. The simple electronic circuitry is also showcased in a mix of different projects.  You can even try your hand at making some of these yourself, why not solder your own heart rate monitor?

Look out for strange inventions like those shown by Colin Furze. Fancy trying out a bed that ejects you out in the morning or a pair of magnetic shoes? You get the chance over on this stand.

It is not all high tech though. Look out for traditional crafts like leather making, knitting and rug making.  These are all showcased as well. I was particularly impressed by the lady who made an moving owl and a realistic looking handbag out of cake. It would almost be a shame to eat them.

There is plenty to see and do and you can easily lose a number of hours just investigating the exhibition.

Dates and admission prices

The Maker Faire takes place on the 28th and 29th April 2018

Prices

Eating at the Maker Faire

The Life Science Centre has two cafes where you can get something to eat. The Life Cafe is in the main part of the Life Science Centre and serves sandwiches, drinks and cakes and a range of  hot food. The Times Square Cafe is in the gift shop and serves drinks, sandwiches and cakes and some hot food. During the Maker Faire both areas are busy so you may need to wait for a little while to get something to eat. The food is nice and reasonably priced.

Read more: Visiting the Great Exhibition of the North

What we thought of the Maker Faire

We  love going to the Maker Faire. It truly is a celebration of the spirit of invention and it makes you want to stop everything and have a go yourself. Children are given the chance to have a go at making things. There are a number of areas with simple and easy projects they can do with little supervision. They can take the finished items home with them and it may even spark their enthusiasm to try making something at home.

There are plenty of chances to get your hand on and try things out and the Makers are really keen to show things off and explain things. If you are looking for a different and original day out then the Maker Faire is the place to go. It really is a unique event. As we left the Maker Faire we were treated to an impressive display of bubble blowing.

Read about our visit to the Maker Faire in 2016

Have you been to the Maker Faire? What did you think? Let me know below.

Our tickets were complimentary but my thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.