The latest and greatest “makers” of Pittsburgh gathered on October 15, 2016 at Nova Place in the North Side. In collaboration with the Children’s Museum, The Pittsburgh Maker Faire invited parents, kids, students, and innovators to immerse themselves in all things science at the “Greatest Show And Tell On Earth.”

Our reporters were invited to attend the Faire by Youth Express, a media streaming source that gives opportunity to young media students to broadcast their content. Youth Express streams 24/7, allowing students to air anything from their own music and beats to an hour-long podcast. In our case, Hilltop reporters were given the chance to broadcast live interviews with people attending the Faire.

As the first round was made through the Faire, a recurring idea of alternative energy seemed to be present. One of the sponsors, Green Mountain Energy, had representatives calling out to attendees, asking them about their electricity bills. While you would expect an energy company to ask people switch to a cheaper provider, GME asked for us to consider cleaner forms of energy. GME, we were told, has been present in Pennsylvania since 1998. They first began making their mark in Somerset county, building the towering wind turbines we see today. Part of their push for cleaner energy was a booth that housed a small hand crank generator. Here, GME compared the energy required to power three different types of light bulbs. Traditional incandescent bulbs begged for more energy, even when the generator was cranked heavily with both arms. Next, the high-efficiency “spiral” bulbs only required a steady rhythm on the crank. Lastly, LED bulbs required so little energy that they could be fully powered with only a few fingers pulling at the crank.

Stroll across the path from GME and you’ll find yourself surrounded by the sounds of Jamaica. Barrels to Beethoven allows kids to create beats on a steelpan and understand how tone is achieved through their shape. More commonly known as steel drums, the steelpan grasps the attention of kids from the note. Unlike instruments of other families, students create a perfect note the first time the hammer hits the pan. This create an immediate draw to instrument, urging students to take another swing, make another note, and learn a whole song.

Among other music exhibits, Draper & Dots brought their own unconventional twist on music making. Draper & Dots is a consultation company that focuses on creative education and finding an artistic outlet for educators and employers alike. D&D is the “passion project” of Jordan Mroziak and Lisa Belczyk. Our reporters were lucky enough to catch Mr. Mroziak to discuss the projects present at D&D’s booth. Mroziak spoke on what the projects were and why they were important to the arts and education. “At Draper & Dots,  we say we have three main principles that we focus our practices on. Those principles being that the arts should be fun to learn, accessible to everyone, and have personal meaning to everyone. Whether that means turning your computer know-how into playable beats with Makey-Makey or recording sounds from your car and looping them into a beat, we should all be involved in making and enjoying the arts in some way. You can tape a sewing-needle to a tin can and run it along a record to play it.” Mroziak then cranked on an old record player, projecting its sound through his homemade gramophone.  Art is everywhere, and Draper & Dots is working to make it accessible and appealing to everyone.” Mr. Mroziak even went on to answer a few questions for us on a live interview. After reiterating a few questions from our one-on-one interview, Mroziak went on to discuss the Faire itself. “Pittsburgh is such a great place for makers and creative education. It’s awesome to see so many people turn out to enjoy what’s going on and see what the city is capable of. The weather is perfect and it made for a huge turnout. The food trucks are a bit of a bonus too.”

Thus our next destination was set. A fleet of nine food trucks had made their home behind The Children’s Museum. This called for immediate investigation from our reporters. Follow the smell of charcoal and spices and you’ll stumble upon quite a variety of foods. Franktuary called out with fresh made sausages, franks and brats. Nearby was a native favorite, the Pittsburgh Pierogi Truck.  Then, a distant cry filled our ears. “BAR-BE-CONE!”.  The Southside BBQ Company had shattered all expectations with their meaty masterpiece. A full size waffle cone had been made the carrier of pulled pork, mac and cheese, and coleslaw. We grabbed one, recollected, and kept moving. PGH Halal Food provided us with our next choice; a substantial mix of fresh veggies, halal chicken and rice. Sugar & Spice homemade ice cream was a devilishly temptation, but we manage to pass by without gorging ourselves. All patrons were obviously satisfied.

Our venture concluded with saying farewell to our colleagues at Youth Express. We made ourselves smoothies from GME’s crank-powered blender and made our way out. Aside from food, fun, and noise, The Pittsburgh Maker Faire is a way for people to experience new forms of education, entertainment, and art.