Do you love science, robotics, innovation, and young talent? How about all of that blended together at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden? This weekend’s special edition of Maker Faire Miami will have all of that, and more.
For the first time since Maker Faire Miami’s inception in 2013, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden will host the event this year, transforming 83-acres of iconic grounds into a world of innovation and fun.
“This year’s Maker Faire Miami features several exciting new elements. We’ve expanded our hands-on activities with dozens of experiences for all ages which attendees can use to fill out a ‘Maker Passport’ throughout the weekend as they try each activity and turn in the passport to receive free prizes,” said Mario Cruz, lead organizer of Maker Faire Miami, in an email to Refresh Miami. “This year, we’ve also partnered with more local schools and universities to showcase student innovations, creating a stronger educational component than ever before.”
Last year, in 2024, Maker Faire Miami attendees (which reached nearly 4,300) saw over 100 all-things-tech exhibits, with more than 300 makers showcasing their creativity and innovation.
But, this year’s decision to bring Maker Faire Miami to Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden was easy. Internationally known as a space for science, technology, and innovation, the 83-acre botanical garden became the first in the world to partner with NASA and Miami’s Moonlighter FabLab, launching in the garden the Growing Beyond Earth® Innovation Studio – a space for students to design new methods to grow plants in space (which you can tour at Maker Faire Miami this weekend, by the way). Moonlighter is also co-producer of Maker Faire Miami.
“Choosing Fairchild Tropical Garden as our venue this year was a natural extension to the many other collaborative efforts for innovative educational programming, which we’ve partnered with them on for over five years,” Cruz said. “Their dedication to empowering makers across the country to help solve some of the biggest engineering and scientific challenges – including growing edible plants in space – has been an incredible example of distributed innovation and citizen science. As a venue, the garden’s stunning landscape offers a unique backdrop that inspires creativity and reminds us of the intersection between natural and human-made innovation.”
In addition to witnessing the garden’s one-of-a-kind studio, attendees will also have the opportunity to explore its conservatories, research labs, and an Innovation Trail – a self-guided path that will display Fairchild’s scientific projects, such as the Million Orchid Project, a large-scale conservation initiative with a goal of restoring rare, native orchids in South Florida.
Attendees will also experience a day filled with hands-on exhibits and demos, which will feature live-action robots, 3D printing, science experiments, interactive art installations, kid-zones with STEM activities, and educational workshops featuring renowned speakers in tech, such as Juan Rivera, corporate vice president at Microsoft, who will discuss generative artificial intelligence and the future of teamwork.
“Visitors this weekend can look forward to an incredible showcase of human ingenuity and creativity. I’m particularly excited about our keynote presentations on emerging maker technologies, crowdsourcing a greener future, and the case for Maker Education,” Cruz said. “Maker Faire is essential to our STEM ecosystem because it democratizes innovation and makes technology accessible to everyone, creating a space where learning happens through direct engagement and play. Whether you’re a seasoned maker or just curious about the movement, there will be something to inspire everyone.”
For those new to Miami, the Maker Faire has been a beloved near-annual tradition for more than a decade. The first Mini Maker Faire took place in 2013 at The LAB Miami. After a few years, the Faire officially “grew up,” losing the “Mini” and becoming Maker Faire Miami from 2017 onward.
This year’s Maker Faire Miami will be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 3-4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden (10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156). Tickets for this year’s Maker Faire Miami are required for members and non-members of Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden. Admission tickets can be found here, and are $24.95 for adults, $17.95 for seniors ages 65+, and $11.95 for children ages 6 – 17.
Images, at top and below, are from past years of Maker Faire Miami:
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