Ready, Set, Make: 5 Inaugural September Maker Faires

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. ADVERTISEMENT