Why Alyssa Loves Maker Faire

One of the most enthusiastic members of our World Maker Faire New York Street Team was 9-year-old Alyssa Loeb. She enthusiastically spent days handing out Maker Faire flyers with her mom and spreading the word about the Faire. This is Alyssa’s third year going to the Faire, and we chatted with her to find out what it is about Maker Faire she likes so much.

1. How many Maker Faires have you been to?
I have been to two Maker Faires. This year’s will be the third.

2. Tell us about your experience at the first Maker Faire you attended.
I had a lot of fun. I got to play with a Sifteo game prototype, littleBits, a homemade radio, a gigantic mechanical sculpture that breathes fire, Arduino, and a Life Size Mousetrap. My friend and I also rode on the solar-powered carousel. I also saw, for the first time, a 3D printer, participated in the MakerBot Raceway Shell Race and saw the singing fish car and got to do so many awesome activities like play with squishy circuits and others! It was an experience that got me interested in robotics, computer programming, and making things.

3. What are three of your favorite things you’ve seen at Maker Faire?
That’s a tough one. I have more than three favorite things. I will name a few: the 3D printers, Glank, meeting Chris Novello (a maker and computer programmer), the giant fire-breathing mechanical sculpture.

4. When people ask you what Maker Faire is, how do you describe it?
It is a fun, interactive, hands-on, over-the-top science, engineering, crafting, and arts event where you can meet all sorts of exciting people who make amazing things and learn from them.

5. Why are you so enthusiastic about spreading the word?
Because I want other people to find out for themselves just how exciting Maker Faire is. They have to experience it to know what it’s like.

6. What’s your favorite story about handing out/posting flyers?
My friend Joey and I had a competition handing out flyers — we each tried to race to groups of people and tried to be the first to give them flyers. There was also this mime at Central Park who tried to get my attention when I was handing out Maker Faire flyers. He finally spoke to ask for one. He said he takes his nephew to Maker Faire every year.

7. What types of things do you like making?
I like making little craft sculptures but I also want to learn how to code and program computers. I do a lot of pencil sketches and collage art and create sculptures from found items.

8. What would be your dream job?
My dream job is to be a star programmer and engineer.

9. What are you looking forward to at this year’s World Maker Faire New York?
I am looking forward to meeting many makers and seeing their inventions, getting to chat with them, and getting some hints and tips from them. I also hope that Glank will be there again so that I could watch their performance.