The Makevention is tomorrow from 10-4 p.m. Here is info from a press release sent to The Bloomingtonian:
“Makevention 2021 Bloomingtonian
Makevention 2021 will be this Saturday! Makevention is a place for makers around the southern
Indiana area to show off what they make and have fun. It is free to attend and open to Hoosiers
of all ages and backgrounds.
Starting in 2013 with a small group who wanted a local maker convention of their own,
Makevention has become an annual Bloomington event. Most of that group met through
Bloominglabs, but the committee has hosted members from all over the community.
Sponsors cover the majority of the cost of the convention center and advertising, so fees for
exhibitors are minimal. Through the years, sponsors have included a few different departments
of IU (Pervasive Technology Institute, especially), Pinnacle School, Cook Group, Ivy Tech and
smaller amounts from day-of donations from visitors, Bloomington Parkour, Upland STEM, and
Society of Women Engineers. The City of Bloomington has also helped with donated advertising,
and Bender Lumber with some lumber. Makers from Chicago have contributed too.
The next step was makers, arguably the most important. The majority of the sponsors are also
large presences at the event each year, however. This determined team contacted a long list of
local businesses and clubs – Breweries, soap makers, room escapes, textiles clubs, local screen
printers and sign printers, full plate armor jousters, book makers, robot makers, anyone they
could think of. It turned out that we have a lot of entrepreneurial makers around.
Many of the businesses have helped with the convention off and on – Bloominglabs with
complicated badges, In Case of Emergency Press would donate volunteer shirts and sell the
official even shirts made on demand, White Rabbit gave good deals on sign and banner printing.
Some years Makevention found help from Monroe County Public Library or Society for Creative
Anachronism as full planning partners, as time permitted.
As it grew, workshops were added too. Often free to participate and learn, with take-home tools
or parts for a small fee. We’ve had people build model environments, fake miniature books,
parts of a living sculpture, learn about security and locksport, soldering, and much more.
Makevention is at its heart a showcase of what Bloomington can build. It is a small group of
individuals who come together to make phone calls and write lists each year until it is real, and
conscripting day-of volunteers. It is a taste of what Bloomingtonians can build – all the small
businesses and crafters showing off and eager to share their interests to at least 1000 people
who come from as far as Indy, Terre Haute, or Louisville. Makevention is a showcase of
Bloomington, and reaches far beyond.
If you want to help, 2022 is not so far off. e-Mail [email protected] if you are
interested in helping plan, or to exhibit next year. Maybe 2022 will be the year a brewery finally
joins us. hint hint
Come visit us at the 8th Makevention!
Saturday, August 28th, 2021
Bloomington Convention Center
10am-4pm
Free”
