Press Release

Ninth Annual Maker Faire Detroit Presented by GE Digital Returns to Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, July 28-29

(Dearborn, MI – July 18, 2018) On July 28 -29, 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. Sponsored by GE Digital for the second year, the event features Tesla Coils, robots, rockets, virtual reality, 3D printing, handmade crafts, life-size sculptures, hands-on activities, demonstrations, items from The Henry Ford’s own collection and much more. 

“The rich, shared history between GE’s founder and The Henry Ford makes our partnership a natural fit, and we are incredibly proud to present Maker Faire Detroit for the second consecutive year,” said Mike DeBoer, vice president and executive leader of GE’s Digital Hub Detroit. “With hundreds of the world’s best Digital Technology professionals based at our Digital Hub in Wayne County, we look forward to showing the Metro Detroit community the way we “make” as we help bring this year’s Maker Faire to life!”

New this year, guests can learn how Guinness World Record Holder DrURAwesome has mastered the art of the Bubble, chat with filmmaker Zach Weddington about his recent documentary on the Commodore Amiga computer, “Viva Amiga” screening inside the Giant Screen Experience, create their own modular synthesizers with the help of the Moog engineer team and listen to a performance by the Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings as they play historic instruments from the University of Michigan’s Stearns Collection. A number of The Henry Ford’s own artifacts will be on display including Robert Moog’s First Prototype Synthesizer, a working replica of Henry Ford’s 1896 Quadricycle, the 1922 Detroit Electric Coupe, the 1916 Port Huron Steam Traction Engine and a number of historic instruments. 

Many fan-favorites will be returning this year, including Heavy Meta, the 30-foot fire-breathing dragon made from a GM bus, the Tesla Coil Quartet, playing music using 3-foot bolts of artificial lightning inside Anderson Theater, and Camp Pencil Point, a workshop teaching the basics of drawing and encouraging creativity and fun. Accelerate4KIDS will be bringing back its annual Youth Hackathon challenging young hackers in grades 3-8 to design games and develop apps.  Handmade Toledo once again returns to present the handmade arts and crafts portion of this year’s Faire. 

Ticket prices for Maker Faire Detroit are $28 for adults (12-61), $19.00 for youth (5-11), and $26 for seniors (62+) and can be purchased now. Children four and under are free. Members of The Henry Ford receive 50 percent off admission to Maker Faire Detroit. 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. 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. More than 1.77 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
Founded in 2006, Maker Faire inspires the future of makers with a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness. People of all ages and backgrounds gather to show what they are making and share what they are learning. With nearly 200 Maker Faires happening around the world, the global event engages more than 1.4 million annual attendees across 44 countries. In 2014, there was even a Maker Faire on the grounds of The White House. The two flagship events, the annual Bay Area Maker Faire and the World Maker Faire in New York welcome a combined 2,000 Makers and 250,000 attendees each year.

Headquartered 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. Maker Faire is part of the Maker Media brand, which includes Maker: Shed and Make: Magazine.