A festival of creativity, the Kansas City Maker Faire inspires yet again
June 27, 2016 | Bobby Burch
The Kansas City Maker Faire affords an amalgam of ingenuity, nerdom and unbridled creativity
What do I mean? Let me paint a picture of the first 20 minutes I spent moseying through Union Station.
I waited in line for coffee with Start Wars villain Kylo Ren (ironically he enjoyed a light roast). An affectionate hippogriff nuzzled my arm. Moments later, a five-year-old learned more about soldering than I had in 20 years. A “Steampunk” professor chuckled with a gaggle of 3D printing experts. And finally, a Medieval troubadour explained how to make a lute.
Shortly after this initial jaunt, the foundation upon which this faire’s success is built became apparent to me. Creativity is certainly a large factor, but this celebration’s central tenant is embracing play. Rarely can one see such a cornucopia of playful characters hoping to impart the trades with which they love to tinker.
And as the faire’s hundreds of attendees can attest, clearly this priority of play resonates well with a community that centers around creative expression and having fun while doing it.
Ryan Bell, a six-year veteran and producer of the Maker Faire, spoke with me about the local maker community and what makes this such a special event. Enjoy!
2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Thank a community leader; Nominate them to win $50,000
Editor’s note: The following is a paid message from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Allison Greenwood Bajracharya, a fourth-generation Kansas Citian, is chief impact and strategy officer for the Kauffman Foundation. [divide] In communities around the country, people are doing uncommon things in the most common places — parks, food pantries, classrooms, soccer fields, and…
Crossroads distillery asks KC to make a toast in honor of founder lost in weekend motorcycle wreck
Update: A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support the family of the late Jeff Evans. Click here to learn more or to donate. [divide] With doors temporarily closed early this week (July 21-22) to mourn the loss of co-founder Jeff Evans, the team behind Mean Mule Distilling is asking its community to “grieve with…
KC govtech startup: You shouldn’t have to know how local government works to get answers (or make impact)
Even a ripple can make waves, said Mitch Mabrey, an exited cleantech founder whose new cause finds him on a mission to ensure that the voices of residents from all walks of life are more broadly heard — and answered — by their government officials. Resonus, his Kansas City-based political information platform is designed to…
Northland BBQ spot opens, building flavors, menu from side hustle to storefront
After a decade-long journey building his BBQ business — from tailgates to a just-opened brick-and-mortar restaurant — Wardell Hooks Jr. would only change one thing along the way: He’d have quit his full-time job sooner. “My thing is the joy,” said Hooks, founder of Off the Hook BBQ, describing the feeling of accomplishment from his…