More than 4,000 visitors interested in making everything from wool yarn and origami to robots and supercomputers visited the Wond’ry on Saturday and Sunday, making this year’s Nashville Mini Maker Faire the largest in the event’s five-year history.
This was the faire’s first year on Vanderbilt’s campus and held across two days, a decision organizers said helped the event grow. Kevin Galloway, Vanderbilt’s Design as an Immersive Vanderbilt Experience (DIVE) director, worked with Make Nashville organizers on logistics and helped line up student volunteers.
“It was terrific to bring so many people with different experience and talents together,” Galloway said. “I’ve heard many people sharing information on how they produce their work.”
Miranda Nelson, the faire’s producer, said attendees enjoyed the opportunity to experience the Wond’ry, Vanderbilt’s center for making and entrepreneurship.
“I want to thank everyone involved, including the Vanderbilt personnel who handled facilities, parking, maintenance and cleaning, plus all the Wond’ry staff and student volunteers,” she said. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”
The Nashville Mini Maker Faire, free to attendees, featured 93 exhibitors, plus food trucks and live music all day. Last year’s event attracted 2,550 visitors and half the exhibitors.
