It's the 'Greatest Show (and Tell)' in Cd'A

By DEVIN WEEKS

Staff Writer

COEUR d’ALENE — At the intersection of science and art, you'll find dragons, space bunnies, Trojan horses and mutant toys.

Wander through wondrous exhibits and demonstrations of glassblowing, virtual reality, Civil War artillery, cut-up poetry, fairy cottages and much more and you'll find a fantastic world waiting for you at the first Coeur d'Alene Mini Maker Faire.

"At the Maker Faire, you're going to see a lot of different ways people are expressing their creativity," said mechanical engineer and Maker Faire committee member Kraig Lysek. "We have makers of all disciplines who will be showing off what they make."

Presented by Coeur d'Alene's nonprofit makerspace Gizmo-CDA in partnership with North Idaho College, the University of Idaho and the Community Library Network, the Mini Maker Faire will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday on the NIC campus at 1000 W. Garden Ave.

This free, family-friendly event will feature interactive exhibits, educational opportunities and entertainment in every corner of the nearly 100-station event. From rocket launches to cosplay, the faire has a little something for everyone.

At the creative-writing booth, local artist and author Cait Reynolds will lead exercises where participants will select random writing prompts and see what they come up with in a timed session. During the cut-up poetry activities, attendees can take words cut from magazines and books and make their own creations from printed pieces.

"It's our take on refrigerator poetry," Reynolds said.

She said she's looking forward to working with kids and young writers and inspiring them to explore their writing abilities.

"It's exciting to be a part of something that's unique to the community and really showcases a lot of different people’s creative talents and skills," she said. "It’s also great for networking, so that’s amazing."

The faire has been dubbed by organizers as the "Greatest Show (and Tell) in Coeur d'Alene." Event coordinator Jessica Mahuron describes it as a "gift to the community."

"It's an opportunity for people of all walks of life, all ages to come and experience creation, experience invention and really walk away making new connections with other people who create," she said. "They'll walk away with inspiration for a new hobby, a new project idea. And to be in an environment that fosters creativity, invention and resourcefulness is what we’re hoping will inspire people to do new things."

Info: www.gizmo-cda.org