Bay Area Maker Faire 2019 Might be the Final San Mateo Maker Faire
Maker Faire events offer tons of opportunity to explore the maker space, from do-it-yourself (DIY) tech and well-known players such as the Raspberry Pi Foundation, to up-and-coming makers, and DIY foods. Moreover, Maker Faires such as the Bay Area Maker Faire provide ample learning potential and social justice components, such as the environmentalism aspect of this year's San Francisco Maker Faire. Unfortunately, as the SF Chronicle reports, this could be the last Maker Faire for the area.
Maker Media Struggles: May Signal End Times for Bay Area Maker Faire
Apparently, Maker Media has struggled with financial turmoil, laying off almost 10 employees in March. CEO Dale Dougherty revealed that "...I'm not sure what the future holds for Maker Faire...we've had to reconsider what we do and reconsider the things that we provide." That certainly sounds bleak, although with the passion and dedication of maker community members, it's totally feasible to continue the Bay Area Maker Faire.Founded in 2006, the Bay Area Maker Faire once again hits this weekend, running Friday, May 17 2019 through Sunday, May 19 2019. With over 200 Maker Faires hosted in almost 50 countries, the Bay Area Maker Faire and New York Maker Faire remain the flagship entries. Plus, despite the Maker Faire title affixed to the others, only NYC and San Fran arrive with the distinction of being hosted by Maker Media, with the others simply licensed.
Despite the struggles of Maker Media, the maker space is alive and well. From the ultra-popular, bordering on mainstream, Raspberry Pi to 3D printing, Arduino programming, and robotics, the maker community continues to blossom. That's in part because of online forums and communities, but driven largely through offline events such as Maker Faires.
With a solid roster of well-known sponsors including Google, San Mateo Maker Faire 2019 isn't completely unfunded. Still, several long-time sponsors pulled out including the likes of Microsoft and Intel. As much of a financial cost Maker Faire is to host, it's a major source of capital for the area, with makers pouring in from around the country and even world. However, the greatest benefit is its experiential offering, with a broad-reaching range of panels, workshops, and events. If you're a passionate maker, support Maker Events any way you can, whether it's monetary, through volunteering, or even spreading the word.
Maker Faire Bay Area 2019 details:
What: Maker Faire Bay Area 2019
Where: San Mateo County Event Center
When: May 17-19 Friday 1pm—5pm, Saturday 10am—7pm, Sunday 10am—6pm
Full schedule here
We'll be onsite at Bay Area Maker Faire 2019 with live coverage, so follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! You can also follow me, Senior Editor Moe Long, on Twitter for continued coverage.
Moe Long is an editor, writer, and tech buff with a particular appreciation for Linux, Raspberry Pis, and retro gaming. Writing online since 2013, Moe has bylines at MakeUseOf, TechBeacon, DZone, SmartHomeBeginner, DEV.to, DVD Netflix, and Electropages. You can read his writings on film and pop culture at Cup of Moe, check out his tech reviews, guides, and tutorials at Tech Up Your Life, and hear his thoughts on movies on the Celluloid Fiends podcast. Aside from writing and editing, Moe has an online course, the Beginner's Guide to Affiliate Blogging From Scratch. When he's not hammering away at his keyboard, he enjoys running, reading, watching cinema, listening to vinyl, and playing with his dog Sebastian.
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