LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Creativity, technology, and hands-on invention will take center stage this autumn as Maker Faire Louisville prepares to welcome innovators of all ages. The annual celebration of ingenuity is scheduled for Saturday, October 17, running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the University of Louisville’s Engineering Student Success and Research Building, located at 201 Engineering Drive.
Organized by Louisville Makes and hosted by the University of Louisville’s J.B. Speed School of Engineering, the event is entirely free and open to the public. Attendees will not need tickets or advance registration to enter the venue, which will feature exhibits and activities stretching across both indoor and outdoor spaces. The gathering brings together a diverse community of artists, engineers, crafters, hobbyists, and inventors eager to share their projects, explain their creation processes, and demonstrate how everyday materials can be transformed into extraordinary works.
The spirit of the event centers on accessibility, community connection, and hands-on learning. Organizers emphasize that the Faire is designed to bridge the gap between spectators and creators, allowing visitors to engage directly with the people behind the projects.
"We want visitors to see the range of creativity in our community and leave with an idea they are interested in exploring, whether that involves art, technology or something they can build at home," event organizers noted. "Maker Faire gives people a chance to meet the person behind a project, ask questions and try something themselves."
The event receives vital backing from local and regional sponsors, notably GE Appliances, a Haier company headquartered in Louisville. As a proud sponsor of Maker Faire Louisville, GE Appliances maintains deep roots in the local manufacturing and maker ecosystems. While the company’s products are found in roughly half of American homes, its commitment to grassroots innovation is also visible through FirstBuild, a free community makerspace situated directly on the University of Louisville’s campus.
This year’s roster of participants features a wide array of exhibits, ranging from digital illustration and interactive robotics to high-octane kinetic displays and traditional metal crafts. Among the featured creators checking into Louisville this year are illustrators Phil Back and Steven Beezer, who will present "SuperKick74 LIVE." The pair will spend the day drawing and painting live while interacting with visitors, answering questions about comic books, digital art, and illustration techniques. Their exhibit will also showcase a collection of comics, art books, prints, and original artwork.
Beyond traditional arts and crafts, Maker Faire Louisville also serves as a platform for academic research and educational exploration. Emma Drake, a graduate student at the University of Louisville, will present her ongoing study investigating the contextual nature of organic chemistry students’ modeling knowledge. Addressing fundamental questions about what makes a scientific model effective and when those models should be changed, Drake’s research explores students’ epistemic modeling knowledge. Her findings reveal that students frequently consider different factors when discussing abstract ideas about scientific models compared to when they actively evaluate and modify a model in practice, offering valuable insights for instructional methods in science education.
Technology and interactivity remain a cornerstone of the Faire, highlighted this year by the work of Mike Cotterman. A lifelong maker, software developer, and robotics enthusiast, Cotterman believes that exploration and creation form the most effective path to learning. His latest project, Mehxel, transforms glowing pixels into permanent digital memories. Visitors can step up to an arcade joystick and buttons to design their own pixel art on a 16-by-16 Neopixel display. Once satisfied with their creation, users can press a save button to receive a QR code linking directly to their artwork online, allowing them to view and share it at any time. The installation combines electronics, programming, LEDs, and Raspberry Pi technology, culminating in a large 64-by-64 pixel display built from 4,096 individually addressable Neopixel LEDs that celebrate visitor-created artwork.
For those seeking kinetic thrills and high-energy entertainment, the LVL1 hackerspace is returning with its signature Power Tool Drag Racing. Moving away from traditional toy cars, the event pits modified power tools against one another as they drag their power cords down a wooden track. The setup features Arduino-powered sound effects, a traditional Christmas light tree countdown, and an electronic wig-wag checkered flag designated as the "Win-Dicator" at the finish line. Attendees can queue up for a chance to race using "house racers"—Harbor Freight belt sanders piloted by Beanie Babies secured with Velcro. Between match races, organizers will host exhibition runs featuring wild, custom builds powered by angle grinders, circular saws, and chainsaws.
Educational demonstrations will also cover foundational fabrication techniques that attendees can adapt for home projects. LVL1 maker Robert Day will host an introduction to electroplating and electroforming using copper, zinc, and nickel. The demonstration illustrates how everyday objects can be coated with decorative or protective metal layers to create jewelry, ornaments, or protective finishes against rust and oxidation.
Complementing the electroplating demonstrations, Angela Cooper—widely described as an "Old Louisville Renaissance Woman"—will lead a hands-on workshop on sandcasting metal. Participants will have the opportunity to learn the sand-casting process traditionally used for jewelry, tools, and metal objects, creating their own molds and assisting in casting their first piece under expert guidance. Cooper brings a diverse portfolio of crafting skills to the Faire, ranging from silversmithing and woodworking to pottery and carving.
Animation enthusiasts will also find engaging programming at the Sloppy Films Animation Station, where animator and teaching artist John Akre will collaborate with visitors to produce stop-motion animations using paper shapes. The station demonstrates how individual static images and gradual movements combine to form fluid animated sequences.
Maker Faire Louisville will proceed rain or shine on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Free parking is available in lots surrounding the University of Louisville’s Engineering Student Success and Research Building, and the venue is fully accessible to all visitors. With a wide range of interactive exhibits designed for families, students, and seasoned hobbyists alike, the event offers a comprehensive look at the ingenuity thriving within the regional maker community.
