BELLEFONTE — Discovery Space and The Rivet hosted the inaugural Maker Faire Happy Valley recently at Axemann Brewery, drawing 800 visitors eager to explore what happens when innovation, artistry, and community come together.
The event was held Sept. 21 and Sept. 22.
Billed as “something different,” the event delivered on that promise with a full spectrum of experiences. Attendees cheered on combat robot competitions, built and raced LEGO cars, created art from recycled cereal boxes, explored jewelry-making from raw stones, and even got an inside look at working robots. The entire loft of Axemann Brewery buzzed with activity as makers showed off their hand forged knives, sewing and embroidery equipment, stained glass techniques, and taught people how to make encaustic wax art, build puppets, and more.
“We aimed for an event that would be exciting to people of all ages – to connect over hobbies and interests. It happened,” said Michele Crowl, Executive Director of Discovery Space and The Rivet.
Penn State’s CIMP-3D showed off their additive manufacturing expertise and a wide array of 3D printed items, while nearby, Doug Laplante demonstrated coffee roasting, Kim Hunziker invited people to make “Amish toothbrush” rag rugs, and Riley Auer explained how boomerangs work.
Younger kids could make straw rockets or invent their own thing with K’NEX at a station located right beside a real K’NEX toy designer showing off his work. Even the Bellefonte Historic Railroad Society sent visitors down the track on historic speeder cars.
Attendees came from surrounding cities and states for the event. “Several families we talked to drove in from New Jersey, Maryland, or New York just for the event. Several vendors drove 50+ miles to attend, including Jeff Brown from Upper Darby who exhibited at the Philly Maker Faire earlier this year.
Local videographer Corey Beasley, founder of SparkPixel, was so impressed that he offered to capture footage of the Maker Faire, calling it “a unique celebration of creativity in our community.”
Organizers noted that the event was just the beginning. “This prototype year showed us the incredible appetite our community has for making, learning, and connecting,” Crowl said. “We overheard so many attendees say, ‘I hope they do this every year.’ That’s exactly our goal—next year we hope to expand partnerships with schools, industry, scout groups, and an even wider network of makers and artists.”
If you missed Maker Faire Happy Valley, you can still see a full list of participating makers at
https://happyvalley.makerfaire.com. To stay informed about next year’s event, sign up for their newsletter at https://therivet.org/about-us.
