September is always a busy month for Maker Faire and this year five first time events, scattered around the world, are joining the scene. Its always exciting to see a maker community coalesce and expand when a Maker Faire comes to town. Across the 20 years that we’ve been holding Maker Faire Bay Area, we watched the maker community evolve — make new connections, develop new projects and products, develop spaces and educational opportunities, start businesses, and – in the case of the many kids who come to Maker Faire and get hooked — grow up into curious, competent, creative (bigger) people.
Check out one of these events — or one of many other across the world and year — to talk to the makers. See projects in action. Ask questions. Try something with your own hands. You never know what might spark an idea.. Who knows, you might get hooked!
Curitiba (Brazil)
This weekend will bring Maker Faire back to Brazil for the first time since 2018! Several years in the planning, Maker Faire Curitiba which will take place on the campus of Positivo Univeristy in Curitiba which is the capital and largest city of the Paraná state in southern Brazil.
The event is focused around a series of workshops and lectures by notable makers in the region, including Marcelo Tas who is a civil engineer as well as the creator and former host of Brazil’s most significant maker television show. In 2019, he hosted Batalha Makers Brasil on Discovery Channel, the country’s first reality show dedicated to the maker movement, bringing the culture of hands-on experimentation and creative problem-solving to a mainstream audience through challenges involving robotics, 3D printing, woodworking, and other forms of digital and traditional fabrication. His engagement with the maker movement has continued through his involvement with Maker Faire Curitiba, where he is featured as a speaker on creativity in the digital age. Learn more about their program: https://www.makerfairecuritiba.com.br/
Calais (France)
We believe it is essential to help younger people better understand the world in which they are growing up, to give them the tools to become actors/makers themselves, and to make them aware that inhabiting the world is everyone’s responsibility and that we can all be actors by becoming makers. It is in this dynamic that we are organizing the Education Day of Maker Faire Calais 2026 on Friday, September 11, 2026.
Calais has a long history and importnt role as a doorway into France from the UK, but few things are more recognizable in the city than its truly spectacular fire breathing dragon sculpture. The Compagnie du Dragon‘s audience development team will be at the Maker Fair to offer various activities to visitors and school groups. Our team of cultural mediators consists of three people: Carine Anot, Director of Audience Development; Corneille Vanbelle-Lavoye, Cultural Mediation Officer; and Noémie Dubois, Cultural Mediation Officer.
Waterloo (Canada)
The Waterloo Region in Ontario, Canada has always been a place where people build what comes next. On Sunday, September 13, that spirit takes over Waterloo Public Square as Waterloo Maker Faire turns Uptown into a playground for inventors, engineers, artists, tradespeople, entrepreneurs, educators, students, and the gloriously curious. Six maker zones will fuel the fun: Science & Technology; Trades & Manufacturing; Arts & Culture; Food & Beverage; Sustainability; and Youth.
And youth are at the heart of it. Maker Faire gives young people a chance to get up close with technology, engineering, skilled trades, art, and entrepreneurship—and, more importantly, to see themselves not just as technology users, but as people who can make, hack, build, invent, and create. “The best thing about Maker Faire is that it brings out our innate curiosity and sense of wonder. Getting to interact with innovative ideas, see how things work, and meet the people who built them reminds us that there’s always something new to discover,” says co-organizer Scott Patton. Here’s a few standout projects
University of Waterloo Rocketry Team — Fresh off setting a world record in 2026, Waterloo’s Rocketry Team will bring the engineering behind Polaris—the highest-ever amateur liquid bi-propellant rocket—to Maker Faire. READ MORE.
University of Waterloo Robotics Team — One of Waterloo’s premier autonomous robotics teams, UW Robotics has tackled everything from autonomous vehicles to Mars-inspired exploration and has claimed first place at the International Autonomous Robot Racing Challenge.
Waterloo Aerial Robotics Group (WARG) is pushing the limits of autonomous flight, and in 2025 the team took first place nationally at the Student Unmanned Aircraft Systems Competition with an autonomous aircraft designed for wildfire response.
Tinker Truck is a mobile makerspace that brings real tools, materials and hands-on science and engineering directly to kids and families, where participants can build rockets, hack toys, experiment with water and create their own inventions while learning through trial, error and discovery.
From yarn to one-of-a-kind creations, Katzer Creations showcases the incredible things that can be made with crochet, bringing handmade artistry and plenty of creativity to Maker Faire.
Dijilele Instruments — Dijilele is reinventing the musical instrument for the digital age, creating innovative electronic instruments that let musicians explore entirely new ways of making and experiencing sound.
Porto (Portugal)
Maker Faire Porto is all about turning curiosity into action—and ideas into things you can touch, test, build, and (sometimes) break! The event celebrates maker culture as a powerful way to learn, create, and innovate, bringing people closer to technology through hands-on experiences and encouraging everyone to experiment, tinker, and discover how things work — something the producer team practice year round at VivaLab Porto makerspace and innovation hub. It’s a place where young people and students can try out new fields, pick up practical skills, and see that there’s more to technology than screens and buttons. At the same time, makers, families, educators, and the wider community come together to share knowledge, collaborate, and inspire one another.
Above all, Maker Faire Porto aims to spark curiosity and critical thinking—and show that with a little imagination, the right tools, and a willingness to try, an idea can become something that helps shape the future. Maker Faire Porto takes place at Alfândega do Porto, one of the city’s most iconic cultural and event venues, located along the banks of the Douro River.Originally built in the 19th century, this former customs house has been carefully transformed into a contemporary event space.
Brownsville (Texas, USA)
Near the US-Mexico border Brownsville, Texas has recently become known as the new HQ of SpaceX. Unsurprisingly, space will figure strong at Maker Faire Brownsville which is to be produced as a joint event with the city’s annual SpaceFest event. The day will be full interactive opportunities: a space themed costume/cosplay contest; a robotics competition; an original artwork showcase inspired by the theme “Texas to the Stars” and showcase your vision of space, innovation, and the future. See for yourself at the George Ramirez Performing Arts Academy 📅 September 24–26 🤝 In partnership with the Brownsville Public Library System.
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Facts Only
* Maker Faire Curitiba will occur in Brazil.
* Maker Faire Curitiba will take place on the campus of Positivo University in Curitiba.
* Marcelo Tas is a civil engineer and creator/former host of Brazil’s most significant maker television show, Batalha Makers Brasil.
* Education Day of Maker Faire Calais 2026 is scheduled for Friday, September 11, 2026.
* The Compagnie du Dragon’s audience development team will attend the Maker Fair in Calais to offer activities.
* Waterloo Maker Faire occurs on Sunday, September 13.
* Six maker zones are planned for Waterloo: Science & Technology, Trades & Manufacturing, Arts & Culture, Food & Beverage, Sustainability, and Youth.
* Standout projects mentioned include the University of Waterloo Rocketry Team, UW Robotics Team, Tinker Truck, Katzer Creations, Dijilele Instruments, and WARG.
* Maker Faire Porto takes place at Alfândega do Porto.
* Maker Faire Brownsville is planned as a joint event with SpaceFest.
* The Maker Faire Bay Area has been held for 20 years.
Executive Summary
Maker Faire events are occurring across the globe in September, featuring five first-time events. The Maker Faire Bay Area has been held for twenty years, observing the evolution of the maker community through connections, projects, business development, and educational opportunities. Specific events mentioned include Maker Faire Curitiba in Brazil, Education Day of Maker Faire Calais 2026 in France, Waterloo Maker Faire in Canada, Maker Faire Porto in Portugal, and Maker Faire Brownsville in Texas.
Maker Faire Curitiba will feature workshops and lectures from regional makers, including Marcelo Tas. The event is focused on hands-on experimentation with robotics, 3D printing, woodworking, and other fabrication methods. Maker Faire Calais 2026 is organized to help younger people understand the world by providing tools for making, with involvement from the Compagnie du Dragon’s audience development team. Waterloo Maker Faire emphasizes youth engagement through six maker zones covering areas like Science & Technology, Trades & Manufacturing, Arts & Culture, and Sustainability. The event showcases projects such as the University of Waterloo Rocketry Team, UW Robotics Team, Tinker Truck, and Dijilele Instruments. Maker Faire Porto focuses on turning curiosity into action through hands-on experiences, taking place at Alfândega do Porto. Maker Faire Brownsville is planned as a joint event with SpaceFest, featuring robotics competitions and space-themed showcases near the US-Mexico border.
Full Take
The disparate locations and focuses of these global events suggest a convergence around the core theme of experiential learning and the democratization of creation, shifting the focus from traditional consumption to hands-on fabrication and inquiry. The narrative contrasts the historical trajectory of maker communities with contemporary calls for fostering curiosity and competence in youth, evidenced by the emphasis on engineering, robotics, and digital arts across these sites. The inclusion of specific regional examples, such as Marcelo Tas's role in mainstreaming maker culture or the focus on autonomous systems in Waterloo, grounds the abstract idea of "maker movement" into tangible, localized outputs.
The pattern observed is a cyclical reinforcement where an event acts as a catalyst: it gathers makers and participants to demonstrate that complex skills can be learned through experimentation rather than solely formal instruction. This suggests a systemic push against purely theoretical knowledge systems by prioritizing applied, tangible outcomes. The tension lies between the stated goal—sparking curiosity and critical thinking—and the underlying mechanics of any large-scale event, which risk reducing complex innovation into consumable demonstrations. Further inquiry should focus on how these localized interactions translate into sustained educational infrastructure after the event concludes, and whether the economic or cultural impact of these decentralized knowledge exchanges is being adequately measured beyond immediate engagement.
Sentinel — Human
This text reads like promotional or feature writing designed to inspire interest in global maker events, characterized by narrative flow and specific examples rather than pure data presentation.
