4th Annual Maker Faire Atlanta Looking For Makers

This will be the 4th year for a Maker Faire in Atlanta Georgia. This event is growing incredibly each year and they have no reason to expect this year to be any different. They’re looking for interesting projects to show off to the crowds of onlookers. If you think you have something that would be fun to share, please respond to their call for makers which ends August 22nd.

Here’s a slideshow of pictures from last year’s event.

The show entrance was overshadowed by the gorgeous [CULC building](https://www.google.com/maps/preview/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x88f50489e24c4cc7:0x2f07c28c3abda31b!2m5!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i100!3m1!7e1!4shttps://plus.google.com/113328792059083690206/photos?hl%3Den%26socfid%3Dweb:lu:kp:placepageimage%26socpid%3D1!5sculc+building+-+Google+Search&sa=X&ei=bj1wUp_jLuPliAKs3YDYCA&ved=0CKUBEKIqMA8).

As seen on the cover of Make Vol. 22, [JD Warren’s Mowbot](https://makezine.com/2012/01/05/make-an-arduino-controlled-rc-lawn-mower/).

A young attendee tries one of the SPSU Electric Vehicle Team’s vehicles on for size.

The Atlanta Taiko Project invited attendees to join them in drumming.

A complex CNC-cut wooden bicycle sits idle.

The Learn to Solder tent is always a big hit, especially when our [Robot Pin](http://www.makershed.com/Learn_to_Solder_Skill_Badge_Kit_p/mkls01.htm) is involved.

The Beltline Bike Shop serves as an open work space where kids learn how to repair and rebuild bicycles.

A young maker stares at the steampunk-era guns with envy.

The Nerdy Derby was a big hit at the show — they had races going on all day.

Breck of [Brooklyn Aerodrome](http://www.brooklynaerodrome.com/) was showing off his Flying Wing Kit ([which we carry](http://www.makershed.com/Brooklyn_Aerodrome_Flying_Wing_Kit_p/msfw1.htm)).

No Maker Faire is complete without an art car! The Poetry Van can be seen behind, upon which attendees scrawled out their favorite line.

I’ve always been a fan of Hackerspace Charlotte’s [Feltronics](http://www.hackerspacecharlotte.org/2012/06/30/feltronics-2/) project. What a great way to learn about electronics!

Tops for Tots: this gentlemen turned small tops for kids on his wood lathe.

The Decatur Makers brought out Non-Newtonian Hopscotch, which was a messy, but fun, activity for kids.

Various FIRST teams brought out their bots and shot off frisbees for the audience to catch.

A drawbot creates a work of art.

[Maker Joe](http://www.makerjoe.com/) always exceeds expectations with his fabulous kinetic art. Check out a video of this sculpture in action [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph-9dSxoSuM&feature=c4-overview&list=UU_vCZnb8HaQ-X02g6dSzBlQ).

This may look like a normal car at first glance, but this one was converted to run on battery power by its owner.

Gorgeous chalk art adorned the sidewalk.

we talked with David Sluder, the organizer for this year’s event.

How did you end up running the Maker Faire Atlanta?

I learned about Maker Faires in 2011 after discovering Make Magazine and fell in love with the idea – who wouldn’t want to attend an event that lets you interact with loads of makers and their projects? I was really attracted to the large fire sculptures and kinetic art. But I wasn’t able to make it to the West coast that year, so I was resigned to just dreaming about it. Then in about June of that year, I came across a post on the Make blog saying that the Call for Makers for the Atlanta Mini Maker Faire was open, and that just blew my mind! I found out who was organizing it (former Make engineer Eric Weinhoffer), and I emailed him so that I could help out by recruiting makers and pushing the event out through some education channels. After he left Atlanta for MAKE, I carried the torch. Atlanta needs a Maker Faire because our city is packed to the brim with creative individuals of all varieties, but there isn’t any avenue that brings all of them together to share their work with the rest of the city. I love being able to help give them that, and then being able to roam around the event and meet them all. Instead of taking myself to the West coast, I was able to bring Maker Faire here instead, right in my own backyard!

What exhibitors are you excited about seeing this year?

There’s a group called Art120 in Chattanooga that brings down art bikes for an Urban Art Bike Rodeo that lets the attendees ride them around, and they’re always a huge hit. My personal favorite is two bikes welded together with a swingset on top of them. I’m also pumped to have our first Power Racing Series this year. A couple other makers that really get my juices flowing are Mad Housers, which build small houses for the homeless and will be constructing one of their houses over the course of the weekend, and the ever popular Nerdy Derby, which brings a variety of wild supplies and lets participants create unique cars inspired by the Cub Scouts’ Pinewood Derby and race them against others – 600 were made last year at our one day Mini Maker Faire!