Inventors, entrepreneurs, educators, and curious minds will gather on Sunday, October 20 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m to debut Maker Faire NoVa at Alexandria City High School (3330 King St.) and Chinquapin Park (3210 King St.). This event will occur rain or shine.
The City of Alexandria's Office of the Arts and Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities (RPCA) is proud to announce a partnership with Nova Labs to co-produce Maker Faire NoVa in Alexandria this fall. For the first time since 2019, Northern Virginia's Maker Faire is back! Visitors from the DMV and beyond are welcome to join the all-ages family gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and love sharing their talents. More than 100 makers will take over the high school and park grounds to share their knowledge through hands-on projects, demonstrations, workshops, and a speaker series in the areas of engineering, science, art, robotics, drones, biology, 3D printers, and more.
Featured activities include:
- Master of Ceremonies NBC4's Tommy McFly
- Ribbon-cutting welcome to celebrate ALX275 at Maker Faire
- Drone flying with Virginia Tech
- Artists with Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
- Hands-on activities with George Mason University and American University
- History of Inventors with United States Patent and Trademark Office
- Maker Educator Meetup for educators and librarians
- Exhibitions featuring ALX275 Anniversary Grant Recipients
Visitors are invited to take free DASH Bus transportation or use Capital Bikeshare to get to the event. On-site valet services will be provided to attendees looking to park their bikes, scooters, and strollers. Visit alexandriava.gov/GOAlex for more information on alternative transit options.
Driving to the event? Parking is available at Alexandria City High School (3330 King St.), at Chinquapin Recreation Center (3210 King St), and The Alexandria Scottish Rite Temple (1430 West Braddock Road).
Tickets are now on sale online. Advance tickets are available through Monday, October 14. General admission prices will apply beginning October 15. A family ticket, good for a group of five people entering the Faire together, are available. Find all the Faire details at alexandriava.gov/arts/makerfaire.
For reasonable disability accommodation, contact daniel.guzman@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.5419, Virginia Relay 711.
If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available, please email LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.3960.
Maker Faire NoVa is independently organized by the City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts and Nova Labs and is operated under license from Maker Media, Inc.
About The City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts
The Office of The Arts is the City of Alexandria’s designated Local Arts Agency (LAA). The Office of the Arts is committed to promoting the value of arts and culture in Alexandria by nurturing, investing in, and celebrating the creative contributions of artists and arts organizations. Through engaging the community, encouraging participation, and facilitating access to the arts, the Office of the Arts works with local artists and arts organizations to build a vibrant community for all the City's residents, workers, and visitors.
About Nova Labs
Nova Labs is a community-based makerspace in Fairfax, Virginia created in 2011 for the purpose of empowering everyone to rediscover the joy of making things. By providing the space, resources, and mentorship for innovation and creation, Nova Labs creates a model to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, technologists, and entrepreneurs.
Photos: Check out the gallery here.
