Hello everyone,

The Wayne County Mini Maker Faire is a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness and a celebration of the Maker Movement.  It’s a place where people show what they are making and share what they are learning.  Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters to homesteaders to scientists to garage tinkerers. They are of all ages and backgrounds. The aim of Maker Faire is to entertain, inform, connect and grow this community.

The Daily Record said it best: “Dubbed the ‘Greatest Show and Tell on Earth’; over 1,200 people flocked to the third annual faire at the University of Akron Wayne College last May.  It was a fresh experience with favorite makers from last year coming back along with new makers and new things to see and do.

On September 27–29, Eindhoven Maker Faire brought together over 250 makers and 15,000 attendees for the largest festival of its kind in the Netherlands.  The weekend was full of celebration, innovation, amusement, and discovery.  Here are some of the highlights

Makers from across Europe came to show and tell.  A complete list can be found here.

We are proud to showcase Ohio makers participating in the Wayne County Mini Maker Faire.  Some of these people are David and Mary Martin of Martin’s Miniature Marketplace.  They produce and sell scale miniature furniture, structures, acrylic cases & display stands, and various accessories that are made at a the Romich Foundation Makerspace in Creston.  At the Maker Faire, they displayed the process for creating one of their products.

David creates miniature projects which combine acquired skills and knowledge of many sorts.  He loves to create, whether it be sculpting, painting, or drawing; using the saw, drill press, sewing machine or computer; working with pencil, pen & ink, paints, yarn, clay, acrylics, wood, and more.

Another person who participated in the Wayne County Mini Maker Faire is Josh Hosbach of Keene Village Plastics.  KVP is a manufacturer of high quality thermoplastic 3D printing filament. The company offers an extensive product line and possesses manufacturing capabilities to extrude custom sizes, shapes and profiles.

KVP’s is a family owned and operated business is a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Norton, Ohio, with customized extrusion lines, in-house tooling, and monitoring with laser micrometers for consistent quality.  At the maker faire, they brought a variety of 3D printers, beautiful and colorful 3D printed objects, and a wide selection of filaments that they make. 

Rounding out our participating makers is Stephen Andrews.  Heprovides summer experiences for families that want to try backyard chickens without the hassle or investment.  In early spring, he will bring a portable coop and two or four chickens to your home, sets up everything (including feed for the entire summer), and provides a lesson on how to care for the chickens.  In late Fall, he picks up the coop and chickens so you don’t have to worry about them over the winter.

Steve is a multi-faceted entrepreneur who owned a printing company for 40 years, an organic farm for 12 years, and is also “The Toymaker” and woodworker.  Steve’s current projects include RentTheChicken.com and he & Cindy are turning their farm into an adventure playground.  Always something exciting going on!  At the Maker Faire, Steve brought a coop, chickens, an incubator, and enthusiasm and was quite the hit with kids and adults alike.