Press Release

8th Annual Maker Faire Detroit Presented by GE Digital Detroit Returns to Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, July 29-30

(Dearborn, MI – July 24, 2017) On July 29 -30, hundreds of makers from across the globe will bring their wares, ideas, inventions and solutions to Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. Maker Faire Detroit is the Midwest’s largest two-day festival dedicated to unconventional ingenuity, unbridled creativity and forward thinking. Now in its eighth year, the event welcomes GE Digital Detroit as presenting sponsor. Featuring robots, rockets, virtual reality, 3D printing, handmade crafts, life-size sculptures, hands-on activities, demonstrations and much more, Maker Faire Detroit has something for the whole family.

New this year, guests can see a quartet of musical tesla coils playing music using 3-foot bolts of artificial lightning performing 15-minute shows daily inside Anderson Theater, play select games from Cap’n Nemos Flaming Carnival including flaming ping-pong in the outdoor midway, taste the delicious creations from Doctor Nitro’s Dessert Lab located in front of Lovett Hall and learn how to draw for comics with Camp Pencil Point inside the museum. The Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters will have hands-on woodworking activities and the Boy Scouts of America will be teaching guests how to solder all in the outdoor midway. Heavy Meta, a 30-foot fire breathing dragon made from a GM bus will also make its Maker Faire Detroit debut.  

During the Faire, presenting sponsor GE Digital Detroit, is giving pre-selected innovators a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build on GE Digital’s Predix platform to create smart museum solutions at The Henry Ford as part of the organization’s Detroit Industrial Hack. Fans of the Emmy-winning CBS series The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation will also have the chance to see some of the show’s featured innovators at Maker Faire Detroit including Green Box, Smarty Pans, Critter Catcher and Skunk Lock. 

Returning projects this year include Zot Artz who will be doing art expressions throughout the weekend using adaptive art tools for children with disabilities Visitors will also have the opportunity to get inside Astroliner, 50-foot motion simulator rocket, see Scrubby Bubble ride around the Midway, ride on a bike from Cirque Amongus, and watch as the Detroit Drones race on the front lawn of Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation . Handmade Toledo once again returns to present the handmade arts and crafts portion of this year’s Faire. 

Guests interested in tips and info on the day of the event can text THFMAKER to 36698 to sign up for alerts throughout the weekend, standard message and data rates may apply. A shuttle service sponsored by the University of Michigan-Dearborn will also be available at its Fairlane campus located at 1900 Hubbard Dr. in Dearborn. 

Ticket prices for Maker Faire Detroit are $28 for adults (12-61), $19.00 for youth (3-11), and $26 for seniors (62+) and can be purchased now. Children two and under are free. Members of The Henry Ford receive 50 percent off admission to Maker Faire Detroit. For more information, visit our website at http://www.makerfairedetroit.com or like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/makerfairedetroit. Maker Faire Detroit is independently produced by The Henry Ford in collaboration with Maker Media. 

About The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan is an internationally-recognized history destination that explores the American experience of innovation, resourcefulness and ingenuity that helped shape America. A national historic landmark with an unparalleled Archive of American Innovation, The Henry Ford is a force for sparking curiosity and inspiring tomorrow’s innovators. Nearly 1.8 million visitors annually experience its five attractions: Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, Benson Ford Research Center and The Henry Ford Giant Screen Experience. A continually expanding array of content available online provides anytime, anywhere access. The Henry Ford is also home to Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school which educates over 500 students a year on the institution’s campus. In 2014, The Henry Ford premiered its first-ever national television series, The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation, showcasing present-day change-makers and The Henry Ford’s artifacts and unique visitor experiences. Hosted by news correspondent and humorist, Mo Rocca, this Emmy®-winning weekly half-hour show airs Saturday mornings on CBS. For more information please visit our website thehenryford.org.

About Maker Faire
Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth—a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness, and celebration of the Maker Movement. It's a place where people of all ages and backgrounds gather together to show what they are making and share what they are learning.

Maker Faire will celebrate 221 Faires in 2017 and will engage more than 1.58 million attendees globally in 45 countries around the world. The 12th annual Maker Faire Bay Area welcomed some 1,200 Makers and 125,000 attendees. World Maker Faire New York, the East Coast flagship event, has grown in seven years to 930+ Makers and 95,000 attendees.

Located in San Francisco, California, Make: has been widely credited with jumpstarting the worldwide Maker Movement, which is a transforming force in innovation, culture, and education. The brands under the Make: umbrella include Maker Faire global events, Make: magazine, Make: books, and Maker Share—a new networking hub to show and share maker projects.