Union Station’s fifth annual Maker Faire gears up

Eight years ago, Nicholas and Angela Snyder fell in love — not with each other but with Leotron, a robot that the couple had built from an old radio, some electrical plugs and a Polaroid camera. It sat on Angela’s desk at work.

“Little did we know that we were both pretty enamored with robots,” Nicholas Snyder tells me. “People at her office kept asking where she found it, and she said we made it.”

Since then, the Snyders have assembled more of what they call Nerdbots, each a one-of-a-kind construction that gives fresh purpose to objects found at junkyards, estate sales and antique stores. A vintage coffee canister becomes a torso, for example, or an old alarm clock evolves into a wise-looking head.

This weekend, the Snyders are eager to show off their custom sculptures at the Kansas City Maker Faire, the family-friendly DIY celebration that takes over Union Station Saturday and Sunday.

“People tend to buy our stuff online, so we don’t get to hear the stories behind why they picked a certain bot,” Nicholas Snyder says. “With this event, it’s all about getting to know the people and connecting with them on a very nerdy level.”

Robot lovers and self-proclaimed nerds aren’t the only ones who will find something to love at this event. Now in its fifth year, the Maker Faire is “more diverse than it has ever been,” says Christy Nitsche, director of programming at Union Station’s Science City. Last year, more than 16,000 people, including makers from 40 states, attended. And Nitsche expects additional growth.

Among the attractions this time: Los Angeles’ Two Bit Circus, a group of self-described “artists and intellectuals” whose STEAM Carnival combines robotics, electronics and lasers to create life-size, high-tech versions of arcade games. Also new this year, KC Film + Media’s “script to screen” event includes staged readings of original scripts, special effects and talent casting.

Meanwhile, old favorites are returning, among them the Power Racing Series, which challenges participants to build and race an electric car within a $500 budget. According to Maker Faire producer Luis Rodriguez, there’s too much to see in a single day.

“We want to get people making again, to get their hands dirty and learn to do whatever it is they want, and leave knowing where they can go in the city or the region to learn more about it,” Rodriguez says. “We’ll have somebody talking about urban farming next to a welder next to a robot guy.”

Erik and Rachael Messner, of Messner Family Farm, might indeed find themselves greeting fairgoers near robot types, who in turn may feel compelled to try some of the couple’s mustache wax. Made with beeswax from Messner Farm’s Kansas City–area hives, this styling product for dapper dudes is one of the products for sale at Maker Faire (along with the Messners’ beeswax lip gloss, which Rachael adores so much that she keeps it in every room of the house).

The Messners got into beekeeping on a whim four years ago, starting with lessons from YouTube, which Erik calls “the lazy man’s mentor.” They also raise chickens and grow fresh produce. But the bees remain the big challenge. “You can be a total moron and keep chickens,” Erik says. “Bees ask a lot more of you.”

In addition to introducing attendees to their beeswax perfume, insect repellent and lip tints, the Messners hope to create some buzz for bees at Maker Faire. “We want to inspire people to love bees, whether they’re planting some flowers for them or want to keep them themselves,” Rachael says. “Bees are awesome.”

In keeping with Maker Faire tradition, the event also features plenty of hands-on activities for all ages, such as sensory science exhibits, ceramics and pottery, and a green-minded crooner called Eco Elvis. At one exhibit, kids can earn a robot driver’s license by steering a radio-controlled robot through an obstacle course and retrieving an object.

“It’s fun to watch what people are doing and look at things, but I think it’s more fun to do something hands-on,” says Keith Woeltje, an infectious-diseases physician from St. Louis who builds robots as a hobby and is issuing those not-quite-legally-binding driver’s licenses in Kansas City for the second time. “It’s a blast.”

Some of the makers are still children themselves. The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Team from Lee’s Summit North High School has created a robot that aids in recycling. Along with several other teams, it’s set to demonstrate a game called Recycle Rush, in which robots earn points by delivering “litter” to “landfills.”

“There’s nothing in the curriculum in high school quite like this,” coach Lynn Griffith says. “I love overhearing the conversations when the kids tell people, ‘We built this.’ The look on their faces is just priceless.”

No matter your age, whether you’re just checking it out or returning for the fifth time, the Maker Faire is, as Nicholas Snyder says, your best bet if you’d like to be “struck with nerdy inspiration.”

“We’re excited to see all of the faces we saw last year at Maker Faire,” he adds. “We enjoy the camaraderie there between all the other nerds, if you will, and all the other makers.”