by Dot Cannon
Ever hear of an electric giraffe? No, wait—a talking electric giraffe?
That’s just one of the attractions visitors will get to see at the San Diego STEAM Maker Fest tomorrow.
San Diego’s annual STEAM Maker Fest, happening Saturday, December 6 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, will bring together local students, crafters, makers and generally creative people with the future in mind.
STEAM, of course, is the acronym for science, technology, engineering, art and math–and the STEAM movement is now combining them in some very exciting and creative ways.
If you’ve ever envisioned designing and building the perfect “dream car”, you’ll get to see that happening–AND see the cars race!–at the “Nerdy Derby”. Air Rocket design, construction and launch will be in progress, as will some serious robotics. The Rokenbok Super Build Challenge is going to produce some pretty interesting robotic contenders, and you may well see robots aloft as flying demonstrations take place at the “Air Cage”. Meanwhile, you’ll get to experience the laws of motion in a big way (with the help of zorb balls, body balls and bungee runs) in the Newton’s Corner.
STEAM Maker Fest will feature more than 120 booths, displays and presentations. Live “STEAM Talks”, from members of the maker community, are scheduled throughout the day, covering topics that range from laws of drone flight to today’s emerging technologies for education. More than 40 schools will be participating in this year’s STEAM Maker Fest, which is for “kids” of all ages–or, from 1 to about 101 and up.
Entertainment will be spotlighted, as the Rockstar Foundation stage features live band performances by local musicians. And STEAM Festival organizers have arranged for attendees to participate in free classes, including workshops on 3-D printing and maker projects that include robotics, a solar cooker and a development-drama workshop.
If you haven’t already scheduled this in your plans, you may just want to add a little STEAM to your weekend.
San Diego STEAM Maker Festival will be held at the Del Mar Fair Grounds, located at in Del Mar, California, off the Via De La Valle exit on the Interstate 5 Freeway. The address is 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar, CA 92014