Makers of all ages will compete for cash prizes and state bragging rights Oct. 4 during West Virginia’s largest maker festival on the Huntington campus of Marshall University.
The sixth annual West Virginia Makes Festival, hosted by the Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI), is a celebration of creativity and ingenuity in all their forms. Artisans, inventors, hobbyists and students from West Virginia and beyond will demonstrate their creations during the event on Marshall’s Memorial Student Center Plaza.
The festival will feature a Design Challenge for students and adults that awards a series of cash prizes – including a “Best of Show” grand prize. Registration for the challenge is free at www.wvmakes.com.
In addition, the festival will include demonstrations of robots, 3D printers, lasers and other innovative technologies, special exhibits, hands-on activities and live musical performances. Running from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the festival is free and open to everyone.
“We invite makers from across the region to showcase their creativity during the Makes Festival,” said Charlotte Weber, RCBI Director & CEO. “This is also a wonderful opportunity for school groups and members of the general public to get to know the diverse and talented makers in our communities.”
The West Virginia Makes Festival is made possible through the support of the Cabell-Huntington Convention & Visitors Bureau, CART (Center for Applied Research and Technology), Charleston Area Alliance, Chase Bank, Edward Tucker Architects, the Huntington Area Development Council (HADCO), the Marshall University Research Corporation, Sterling Supply Company, Stites & Harbison PLLC, Suddenlink by Altice, Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia, the West Virginia Manufacturers Association and ZEISS.
For more information, contact RCBI’s Jamie Cope at jcope@rcbi.org or 304.781.1680.
