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🤖 Americas · USA

Maker Faire Bay Area

BUILD & exhibit your own project (electronics, robots, crafts, art, science); or visit and try things.

Team entryWatch & buy local
24–26 Sep 2027Next date
None listedNext deadline / key date
SeptemberUsual timing
Mare Island, Vallejo, California, USAWhere
01 ¡ How to take part

Your way in

Apply through the Call for Makers to exhibit, present, perform or run a workshop; or visit the faire.

Team entry

Exhibit, present or perform

Apply through the Call for Makers to show a project, give a talk, perform or run a workshop. The 2027 call is not published yet; in 2026 the priority-review deadline was 15 Jul.

Watch & buy local

Visit the faire

Three days of robots, rockets, art cars, electronics, crafts and hands-on activities at Mare Island; meet the makers and try things.

You build or use
BUILD & exhibit your own project (electronics, robots, crafts, art, science); or visit and try things
Participation
Build-exhibit (application)
Entry and deadlines
2027 Call for Makers not published yet (2026: priority-review deadline 15 Jul)
Where
Mare Island, Vallejo, California, USA
02 ¡ Dates

Dates and deadlines, Jan 2026 to Dec 2027

Usual timing: September. Dates are only shown where a source publishes them; everything else is marked TBC.

  • 24–26 Sep 2027Maker Faire Bay Area 2027Organiser: returns to Mare Island 24-26 Sep 2027. Hours and the 2027 call TBC. ¡ sourceTeam entry

See it on the calendar →

03 ¡ Skills you'll need

Skills you'll need

What to learn and practise before you go. Each resource is marked Official or Community-accepted and names its publisher. Difficulty and prep time are our estimate.

Core skill

Preparing a maker project for public exhibition (working demo, safety, power needs)

Also useful:

  • Writing a clear Call for Makers application with a good project image
  • Running an interactive stand and explaining your project to visitors
Difficulty our estimateSome practice (you need a working project)
Prep time our estimate2-6 weeks to polish a project for exhibition

Difficulty and prep time are Curiosta editorial estimates for a first-timer, not organiser figures.

Refresher

  1. Maker Faire Bay Area returns to Mare Island on 24-26 Sep 2027 (organiser's page); 2027 hours and the 2027 call are not published yet.
  2. In 2026 you could apply to exhibit, present on a stage, perform or lead a workshop; full-event exhibits got priority, with weekend-only and Friday-only options.
  3. The 2026 call asked for a landscape project image you hold the rights to, plus an image of you or your group.
  4. Write the application around what visitors will see and do: a clear photo, what is new about it, and the space and power you need.
  5. Make the exhibit safe to stand next to: guard moving parts, hot surfaces and batteries; tidy cables; plan for crowds and children.
  6. Make the stand self-explanatory: signs, process photos and something people can touch or try.
  7. Have a 30-second story ready: why you built it, what you learned, what's next.
  8. Plan load-in, set-up and take-down, spares and a repair kit; demos break.

Practise before you go

  • Demo your project to friends or at a local makerspace and note the questions they ask.
  • Write your 30-second pitch and a one-page project sign.
  • Run your project for a full faire day to find failure points.
  • Read the maker toolkit so load-in, parking and set-up are familiar.

Safety notes

  • Follow the organiser's safety and electrical rules for exhibits.
  • Keep moving parts, heat and batteries guarded and away from small hands.
  • Confirm the 2027 dates, hours and call before you book travel.

Resources

Officialofficial event page

Maker Faire Bay Area

The 2027 dates (24-26 Sep, Mare Island) and what the faire covers.

Publisher: Make: Community LLC (Maker Faire brand owner; organiser of Maker Faire Bay Area)

Officialofficial application page

Call for Makers

How to apply to exhibit, present, perform or run a workshop, with the 2026 timeline as a guide.

Publisher: Make: Community LLC (Maker Faire brand owner; organiser of Maker Faire Bay Area)

Officialofficial exhibitor guide

Maker Toolkit

Applications, logistics, load-in, parking and set-up for exhibitors.

Publisher: Make: Community LLC (Maker Faire brand owner; organiser of Maker Faire Bay Area)

Officialofficial FAQ

FAQ

Venue, hours, Field Trip Day and volunteering (2026 edition).

Publisher: Make: Community LLC (Maker Faire brand owner; organiser of Maker Faire Bay Area)

Community-acceptedarticle (Make: magazine)

Tips for Makers: The Basics of Boothing

Practical advice on signage, interaction and staffing an exhibit.

Publisher: Make: Community (Make: magazine)

Why accepted: Make: founded Maker Faire and owns the brand; its boothing tips are the standard advice for Maker Faire exhibitors.

All skills guides

04 ¡ Check before you go

What we could and couldn't confirm

Before you book

  • 2027 dates: 24-26 Sep 2027 at Mare Island (organiser's page). Hours, the 2027 call for makers and ticket details are not published yet.
  • The 2026 faire (its 20th year) was 25-27 Sep at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo; its Friday was a Field Trip Day for school groups.
  • The organiser's FAQ says volunteer places are available through a form on its site.
  • Costs are not listed on Nomad. Check them, and the latest dates, on the official site.
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