Maker Faire NWA Turns Makers Loose at Fayetteville Library

Northwest Arkansas’s makers, tinkerers, technologists, and inventors spend one day a year opening their world to the public, offering a glimpse of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness up close.

THE DEETS

Meet Your Local Makers

Engineers, artists, scientists, and crafters each show off a hobby, experiment, or project they’ve poured time into. Organizers call it the “Greatest Show (& Tell) on Earth.” You can wander from booth to booth and watch demonstrations, or just poke around until something catches your eye.

Center Stage for Cosplay

This year’s Faire includes a cosplay contest open to makers of any skill level. You’ll get about 60 seconds on stage, and costumes can be entirely original or inspired by history, literature, comics, movies, TV shows, video games, and more. Judges score contestants on stage presence, costume craftsmanship, and how well the performance tells a story, either the character’s or your own spin on it. Prizes go to the top performers, and the contest welcomes all ages, though anyone under 18 needs a parent or legal guardian present.

Registration for the cosplay contest is free, but you need to sign up before 10:30 AM on Friday, September 4. Online registration is preferred, though you can also register in person at the Maker Faire Welcome Desks in front of the Event Center and the Center for Innovation.

What to Leave at Home

Keep your costume tasteful and family-friendly. Real weapons and prop guns are out, along with projectiles, live animals other than service animals, and loud audio devices. Skip the stage dive too, and leave the flames, fireworks, smoke, and lasers at home. Contestants also need to follow all library safety and conduct guidelines. Photos and video from the contest may show up in future promotion, so keep that in mind before you step on stage.

For questions about costume rules or contest logistics, email the Center for Innovation at [email protected].