Essex Mini Maker Faire - Front Porch Forum

September 29th & 30th

What’s it all about?

steAmfest is two days of celebrating Process and Product, Making and Creating. Whether you attend the Village Art Walk on Friday or the Street Festival on Saturday (or both!), you will experience the Art of Disruption. You will also see makers who create art and artists who use science, you will see art that has been engineered and some that evokes math. Technology is in direct display through streaming video or interactive coding. Everything you experience will involve STEAM, but if we didn’t tell you, you might not have noticed! This is a community event -- all FREE and suitable for all ages.

Friday - Village Art Walk

Friday night kicks off the festival with art on display in businesses across the Village, six musicians, 8 activities and some 21 total stops. We invite everyone walk around Essex’s downtown Village of Essex Junction and enjoy the art of experience! Be sure to stop in at our many area restaurants, including Martones Deli, Nest Bakery & Cafe, McGillicuddy’s, Pork & Pickles BBQ and ElGato Cantina!

Friday 4pm-10pm - Village Streets & Businesses

**Stop by the Information Kiosk on Main Street to pick up a map & program guide!**

4PM-10PM - All art exhibits open and on display through the village. Art includes sculpture, video projection, digital photographs, pencil drawings, painting, fused glass, & much more!

5PM - Billy August, musician, plays outside Nest Bakery & Cafe

6PM - Sputoola, band, plays in the garage of Mclures on Central Street

6:30 - Matt LaRocca, projection artist/musician performs at the Darkroom Gallery

7PM - Warm Water, musical group, plays at the EJ Fire Station

8:00 - International film premiere of MidEast Tunes at Darkroom Gallery

8PM - Guthrie Galileo, musician, plays at the EJ Fire Station

9:00 - Second screening of MidEast Tunes film at Darkroom Gallery

9PM - The Leatherbound Books, band, plays inside at Nest Bakery & Cafe

Activities & exhibits throughout the evening include:

Magical Music - an interactive display by the Vermont Art Teachers Association

Pinbox 3000 Arcade - play cardboard pinpall at Triple Loop Costume Shop

Button Making Takeaway - Make your own buttons at Brownell Library

Blinky Wearables - Make your own light-up wearable at 7&9 Main Street

UVM Fablab - Watch what you can do with a 3D printer

Plastic Bottles Make Art - Big Picture’s plastic bottles re-engineered

Rollerblade Art - Watch artist Jean Cherouny make art on wheels

STEAMpods -- a STEAM experience at First Congregational Church

Saturday Street Festival of Essex Mini Maker Faire, Artisan Market, Music & Food

Saturday 10AM to 4PM - On Railroad Avenue

The road will be closed and a full street market will be set up. There are some 18 artisans, two activity stations, a community art project and the first ever Essex Mini Maker Faire. STEAMworks will be running a STEAM-themed preschool-aged activity station. Mansfield Co-op will have a catapult activity! Come play and explore!

Artisans will be selling jewelry, pottery, wood, clothing, lamps, paintings, and even some local agricultural products. You can find gifts for others and even a treat for yourself.

What’s an Essex Mini Maker Faire, you ask? This is show-and-tell meets science-fair! People who are enthusiastic inventors, tinkerers, roboticists, crafters and even artists will be with their interactive displays ready to show you how they make what they do, why, and even invite you to try yourself.

To keep you going all day, there will be food and beverage on the street, in addition to the neighborhood cafes.

Food Trucks/Vendors include:

NoMad Coffee

Greene Mountain Smoothies

StreetGreens - salads, wraps & grain bowls

Grab a bite, sit back and listen to the music. The schedule will loosely follow:

10-12. Smokey Newfield Project

12-1:30. Community Coffeehouse (Lineup TBD)

1:30-2:00. Madeline & Hannah on Ukulele & Guitar

2:00-4:00. Shake

Best,

Teelah