May 3rd, 2014 marked the third annual Chicago Northside Mini Maker Faire, and the largest Chicago Maker Faire yet! 80 exhibiting makers, many of them young makers, and 2,000 attendees made this an amazing event. Thanks to everyone who made this happen!
For those of you who joined the fun, here’s a recap of some of our favorites. And for those of you couldn’t make it this year, here’s a taste of what you missed. Our veteran makers returned with some of the exhibits you’ve come to expect from Chicago Northside Mini Maker Faire – lockpicking with TOOOL, soldering with Build-A-Blinkie, tinkering with hackerspaces, DIY projects from Chicago Children’s Museum, Build Your Own Chicago, FIRST Robotics presented by local high schools (Schurz, Lane Tech, Whitney Young), Blast the Nerds from the Schurz National Honors Society, and many more!
When you first entered Maker Faire, did you notice the aerial drones from Mad Lab Industries flying overhead? 
Did you hitch a ride in a muffin baked by Oak Park Muffineering? 
Did you learn to use a drill from the Chicago Tinkering School and Chicago Children’s Museum?
Did you blast a nerd or explode some Coke with Mentos?
We grew so much this year that we needed to expand. For the first time, the stunning domed library was open for Maker Faire, housing a planetarium brought by the Adler Planetarium, all three major Chicagoland hackerspaces (Pumping Station: One, Southside Hackerspace, and Workshop 88), the Chicago Public Library, ChiBots, and Schurz’s own Anime Club.
The hallways were packed with student art, 3D printed designs, a Rube Goldberg device in action, a DIY photobooth, and a taste of the neat offerings of Chicago Electronic Distributors.
Of course, the cafeteria was a center of activity. We hope you also checked out the Electric Garden and Colossal Squid just across the hall, all the robots from the FIRST Robotics teams who presented in the Gym, and Schurz Digital Media making images and beats in the surrounding hall.
Did you make a bouncy ball and learn more about supporting Comer’s Children Hospital from the Schurz IB students?
Or were you too distracted by the adorable bunnies?
Or maybe it was this guy?
Did you learn how to make a cool coin purse from a recycled chip bag?
Did you play a round of Giant Jenga?
Did you check out the Shapeoko 2 from Inventables?
Did you see the bionic hand made by UIC New Media Arts?
Did you make a giant mold, learn to solder, use a cyclic harmonograph, make pictures with fire, craft your own spa products, build your own Chicago, inflate a moon ball, fold some origami, etch an eraser stamp, needle felt a design, construct a hexbug, or build a kit from Brown Dog Gadgets? Whew! We were overwhelmed, too!
Don’t worry, we’re coming back in May, 2015 – more makers, more attendees, more stuff to DIY. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to always be in the know. That’s all folks! Keep on making, and come back for more!
