What is Maker Faire?
Maker Faire is a gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and who love sharing what they can do. From engineers to artists to scientists to crafters, Maker Faire is a venue for these "makers" to show hobbies, experiments, projects.
We call it the Greatest Show (& Tell) on Earth - a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness.
Glimpse the future and get inspired!
Featured Makers
TheCraftyMarthaShop
The Crafty Martha Shop specializes in creating a large variety of quality handmade goods, ranging from jewelry and accessories to home décor pieces. Martha’s booths have featured many mediums, including tufting, latch hook, cross stitch, wire wrapping, resin, beadwork, polymer clay, watercolor, acrylics, miniature painting, etching, plant preservation, and living terrariums.
Cardboard Model Train
This will be a Cardboard model train of the 611 Locomotive engine built by a young maker.
Nova Labs Racing
Northern Virginia's largest community makerspace, Nova Labs, is excited to join its first Power Racing Series race with entries Barbie & Ken!
Baba Yaga's House
Cardboard Installation by Vector Space Makers Robyn Troyer, Randy Sass, Allison Swede, Reese Preston, Paul Van De Graaf, Nicholas Grummon & Mollie Walsh This towering work is inspired by the infamous home of Baba Yaga, a legendary figure from Slavic folklore. She is an ambiguous character — sometimes fearsome and cruel, other times a keeper of wisdom and justice. Her house, is as strange and unpredictable as the witch herself. This installation is about bringing folklore to life. and the challenge of making, the learning gained, the struggles overcome, and the camaraderie built when makers come together. We love that cardboard is humble — yet capable of inspiring awe. With imagination and teamwork, even the simplest material can transform into something extraordinary.
Vector Space FRC Robotics
We are Vector Space, a local robotics team that competes in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). The industrial-grade robot we’re showing off is the result of weeks of CAD design, rapid prototyping, and a lot of teamwork. We’re at Maker Faire to show how competitive robotics connects what we learn in school to real-world engineering, helping to build the next generation of STEM leaders through hands-on work and collaboration.
BattleBot Armageddon and Creature Combat in 2026
Armageddon is back! After our first trip to the big bot arena in Las Vegas last September, the infamous 250-lb BattleBot Armageddon returns—battle-tested, upgraded, and hungry for more. We laughed, we cried, and we learned some hard lessons live, in front of an audience (no pressure!). Those lessons helped push Armageddon from raw prototype to a seriously dangerous, dual-armed combat machine. Stop by this year to see the 250-lb BattleBot helping usher in the future of BattleBots and Creature Combat in 2026—and talk with the team building it from the ground up.
EC Glass Hovercraft
The EC Glass Hovercraft is a hovercraft made by a Woodshop teacher at Dunbar a few years ago. It was found behind EC Glass falling apart and dilapidated. Braedon Watson and Kyler Englund saw this project and wanted to take it in to get it running again. Since then they have been working on it in the EC Glass Auto Technology shop for two years. They have added lights horns and a roof to this project and got the engine running again. Braedon and Kyler hope to get some sponsor money and get the hovercraft in full working order again and inspire young makers of all ages.
Power Racing Series - OKei Fire Co
The Power Racing Series started as a small group of hackers racing stock Power Wheels toys in a parking lot in Chicago in 2009 and have grown to present DIY faires and race exhibits for Maker Faires and other public events. The OKei Fire Co team hails from the Baltimore, Lancaster, and York areas, racing a tiny version of an already-tiny firetruck. Stop by the Power Racing Series track during the day to watch the action!
