Southern Fried Makers? Tulsa and Louisville Say Yes This Weekend!

Oklahoma and Kentucky’s first-ever Maker Faires are going down this weekend in Tulsa and in Louisville. The Hardesty Center for Fab Lab Tulsa has partnered with Maker Faire as the host organization of Tulsa Mini Maker Faire.  The fair will be a free-to-attend event held on Saturday from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM at Guthrie Green in the Brady Arts District in downtown Tulsa.  They are showcasing 96 makers and plan to welcome over 2,500 attendees.

Louisville Mini Maker Faire is also an outdoor event, free-to-attend and part of IdeaFestival and NuLu Fest. There will be over 30 maker exhibits and lots of fun stuff to do, including Learn to Solder. Louisville Mini Maker Faire will also be the host of the first race in the Midwest Power Tool Racing TRIPLE CROWN. (Put on by LVL1, Hive13 and Columbus Idea Foundry makerspaces, the next two races will be at the Columbus Mini Maker Faire and Cincinnati Mini Maker Faire.)

These fairs are featuring some amazing makers. For example: what could be more “South” than Louisville’s RC Colonel Sanders (see above pic)!?  It’s a wax museum sculpture of Colonel Harland Sanders (in one of the Colonel’s own vintage suits) that rides aboard a radio controlled hoveround power mobility chair. A collaborative effort between Joseph Clagg (LVL1 Makerspace) and Will Russell (owner of WHY Louisville and the co-founder of the Lebowski Fest), the controls of the chair were hacked to be controlled by parts of an old radio controlled helicopter system. Now the Colonel can cruise NuLu and greet his fellow Kentuckians from beyond the grave.

Check out other Southern special sauce makers from these two fairs:

These two have built two submarines from scratch in the past & our now hard at work on the SV Seeker, a 74 foot steel origami hull, junk rigged, cargo, motor sailer. They will be wowing Maker Faire crowds with their on-site metal casting. You won’t want to miss these genial folks who dream big! http://www.svseeker.com/

Eligible machines are single engine power tools with limited motor and gearing modifications.

Try the famous (and delicious) Epsilon’s Elixers, and check out an amazing selection of handmade and vintage Steampunk jewelry and costume weaponry, and an amazing inventory of vinyl decals and embroidered iron-on patches to suit every nerd’s needs! https://www.facebook.com/EpsilonsEmporium

Fab Lab Tulsa is the organizer of the Tulsa Mini Maker Faire. Watch out for the giant “M” at the fair, designed by Dan Moran of Fab Lab Tulsa! http://www.fablabtulsa.com/

Chris Cprek, LVL1 makerspace, enables you to explode a melon with the POWER of your MIND!

Seth is a Master Luthier and Musician living and working in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He’s known around Tulsa for making every custom guitar and bass he builds from scratch, using only hand tools and traditional woodworking techniques.

Dulcimers made from recycled violin cases by Hewn from the Mountain. www.hewnfromthemountain.com

Welcome David Reed James & his lovely family to Tulsa! He’ll be showing us all how to make DIY easels for less than $5 worth of materials. And attendees will also be able to paint a picture to take home using his large assortment of creative brushes! http://davidreedjames.com/

Finally, we have to share “The Device” by Bill Cloyd, Newton’s Attic of Lexington KY.  Check out the bungee-powered railcar which shoots you uphill to see if you can ring the bell. How far back do you think you have to start the car before letting it fly?

Dare we share more?  Head on down this weekend:

• Louisville Mini Maker Faire (KY): September 28, 2013
• Tulsa Mini Maker Faire (OK): September 28, 2013