The great thing about Maker Faire is that is bring together a wide, wide range of creative expression. Here three shots that try to capture that diversity.
Stormtrooper vs. Quadcopter
Spinner and Giant Robots
3D Printer and Recycled Glass Art
Here some first impressions from Maker Faire NC.
Open today until 6pm – much more stuff than last year, so come on out!
Felted electronics = Feltronics
spoonflower-powered make and sew kit
Awesome self-designed tank differential gear made in Lego
The “Around Town” exhibit at Marbles has been closed for a few weeks because it was being updated and remodeled. (“Around Town” is the large exhibit when you come in, with the bus, the grocery store, the ambulance, the stage, and of course the train table.)
Most things are reportedly still there, and a new farm-themed topic has been added, to introduce kids to NC livestock and crops. I’m glad to see that the new train table is actually bigger, I was a bit worried it would have to make place for something else. (“Don’t mess with Thomess!”) I think we were actually there the last day that it was open, and it would only be appropriate to go back on the first day it re-opens.
Beyond the new exhibits, I also spotted a beautiful new mural by Denise Hughes, which is in my eyes one of the nicest aspects of Marbles. (I also like her recent work in the recently opened toddler room.)
Marbles is dressing up in red, white and blue on Memorial Day, and creating a splash. Topics will include rocket science, fireworks painting, and a “Star-Spangled Dance Party”. Marbles is open from 9-5 on Monday.
This Saturday, Lake Johnson Pool opens at 10 a.m. and officially starts the pool season. The pool will be open daily until the fall and is also open on Monday (Memorial Day). The other pools will open soon as well, Ridge Road on June-1, and Chavis on June-8. Finally, I also want to mention Buffaloe Road Aquatic Center, which is indoors and open year-round, and a great alternative during the summer as well.
As part of Artsplosure, the City has placed six artfully adorned pianos at various downtown locations. The public is invited to play them – no skills required! The pianos are placed at the following locations:
Photo (c) City of Raleigh.
Do you feel like the State Fair is a “must-see” for your kids, but do you loathe the crazy crowds? Try the Got to Be NC Festival instead.
Less crowded, less crazy, more family-friendly, more exciting. You still get all the main State Fair ingredients (rides, tractor pulls, lawn mower racing, farm animals, fried food), but in a more relaxed atmosphere.
The event kicks off Friday afternoon and continues through Sunday. Admission and parking is free.
Image (c) NC Department of Agriculture.
Briefly mentioned last week, Oaks and Spokes is a festival celebrating cycling in Raleigh. Events, mostly geared towards adults, have taken place all week, but on Sunday the kids will take over for a the “Kidical Mass” ride through historic Oakwood and Mordecai.
The event will kick off on Sunday at 10am at the Oak City Cycling Project, but the ride won’t start until 11:30am. Kids old and skilled enough to ride alone are encouraged to do so, with the watchful parents riding along. Two loops are planned through Mordecai and Oakwook, and you can expect to be done by 1pm.
The weather should also get better, with Sunday clear and in the 60s.
So your good friend at the office bragged about that they are going the Marbles sleepover, and how it is oh-so-sad that you didn’t secure tickets in time? (Registration closed Wednesday.) Don’t despair, Daddy Weekly to the rescue: The Museum of Life and Science has a sleepover too this weekend!
And while spending the night at Marbles in your favorite exhibit is a special treat (the money machine would be cool, or build your own big brick house for the night), going to the less familiar museum in Durham may be enticing as well. They do have a neat program, with multiple light-out times, and special activities before bedtime. Tickets are $35 (kids under 3 free), and that includes dinner and breakfast.
Canada Science and Technology Museum by cstmweb, used under the CC BY-NC-ND license. Spending the night sleeping next to a giant steam engine? Another good reason for having kids!
Preparation is everything, and with my own daughter quickly graduating from crawling to pulling up and jumping, I had to start looking into this whole Daddy Daughter Dance thing.
There are several Daddy Daughter Dances in the area, the biggest one being the Triangle Father Daughter Dance this Saturday from 6-9p. It is held at Marbles, but not directly related to or organized by the museum.
More information and tickets are available at http://www.trianglefatherdaughter.com/; it is $40 for a dad/daughter, and slightly more for dads blessed with more than one daughter. You can also make a donation so that a girl who does not have a father in her life can attend as a “Special Princess”.
The Triangle Father-Daughter Dance is not affiliated with any specific religious view and open to father/daughters of all races and ages (girls can be from 2 to adult).
Daddy Daughter Dance by Jamie Wallace, used under the CC BY-NC license
(On Jamie’s blog I learned that a Daddy Daughter Dance is “basically an hour and half of cardio in a suit” – good to know, haven’t thought of that!