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Innovation and ingenuity are in fashion at NYC's Maker Week

Innovation and ingenuity are in fashion at NYC's Maker Week
NYC's Maker Week celebrates DIY, hacking, and making (Photo: Shutterstock)
NYC's Maker Week celebrates DIY, hacking, and making (Photo: Shutterstock)
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It's Maker Week in NYC
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It's Maker Week in NYC
NYC's Maker Week celebrates DIY, hacking, and making (Photo: Shutterstock)
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NYC's Maker Week celebrates DIY, hacking, and making (Photo: Shutterstock)

Just as large cities celebrate a week of automobiles, fashion, or restaurants to highlight standouts in the field and bring together enthusiasts and professionals, New York City is embarking on its second annual Maker Week – an event that recognizes the global trend in making and hacking and its role as a source for future innovation.

Though the event is associated with Make magazine, the creator of Maker Faire, other organizations including the city itself have planned events for the week. LittleBits, microcontroller company Atmel and Kickstarter all have free offerings, while the NYC Economic Development Corporation has planned a Next Top Maker challenge, reminiscent of the more popular “Next Top” challenges for modeling or culinary skills.

While Maker Faires may be perceived as being for hobbyists or families only, other Maker Week events center around nurturing hardware startups and creating your own makerspace. Educators are being offered their own workshops, and MakerFaire will open early for a free preview “Education Day” to schoolchildren.

Earlier this year the San Francisco Bay area also created a Maker Week. With or without the collaboration of Make, will we see a trend of cities overtly fostering making as a source of economic development or tourism revenue?

NYC Maker Week started last Saturday (Sept. 14), and runs until this Saturday. You can see a full listing of events at Make’s site, linked below.

Source: Make

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