FirstBuild and UofL Bringing Largest Maker Faire® Festival to Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Thousands of makers, inventors, students, engineers and artists from across the region are expected in Louisville this fall as FirstBuild and the University of Louisville (UofL) host a Maker Faire. Maker Faires are fun, engaging events showcasing makers and their projects.

The Louisville Maker Faire will be a free, family-friendly event Sept. 28‒29 on UofL’s Belknap Campus. The event will include spectacle acts, exhibitions, competitions, hands-on workshops, speakers, musical performances and more.

“Hosting our city’s first full-feature Maker Faire is an example of how businesses and organizations are working together to drive innovation, and a reflection of the budding tech sector and thriving art scene that have gained momentum in Louisville and across the region,” said Larry Portaro, president of FirstBuild.

“We look forward to bringing the community together on our campus to create, discover and be inspired,” said Neeli Bendapudi, president of UofL. “This event will show the incredible power of partnership between our university and local industry.”

GE Appliances, which is one of the event’s flagship sponsors, backs FirstBuild and is a Louisville-based maker that has been inventing and manufacturing home appliances for more than 100 years. 

“This Maker Faire will be the largest gathering of inventors, creators and makers that this city has ever seen,” said Kevin Nolan, president and chief executive officer of GE Appliances. “Hosting this event in the hometown of GE Appliances showcases the brain power and creativity of our community, and I am proud that our sponsorship ensures it will be free and open for everyone to enjoy, create and make.”

Similar Faires have been held in cities across the globe since 2006. Louisville has hosted a smaller-scale, single-day mini maker faire for the past six years.

“From my first day as the city’s mayor, innovation and lifelong learning have been among my core pillars to help our community thrive and grow,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “Maker Faire will help us continue to advance that vision.”

Organizers are seeking makers, sponsors and volunteers to contribute to the success of the event. Makers can sign up to provide an exhibit, presentation, performance, workshop or demo. For more information about all event opportunities, visit https://louisville.makerfaire.com/.