Makers of all kinds take over museum exhibits for a day of discovery

This year's annual NH Maker Fest, organized and hosted by the Children's Museum of New Hampshire in downtown Dover, on Saturday, June 1, 10am-3pm, will feature a Rube Goldberg machine expert, bug motels and seed balls, a marimba petting zoo, roaming robots and dinosaurs, a jump rope team, and will culminate with a foam dance party.

"It's a fun and affordable day of discovery for all ages," said Neva Cole, CMNH Communications Director. Admission into the Fest, which takes place inside the museum and outside in the adjacent Henry Law Park, is by a suggested $5 per person donation. Pre-paid donations can be made online, but are not required to enjoy the Fest.

Some Makers will be set-up inside the Children's Museum of New Hampshire's many unique exhibit spaces, like Laura and Sarah from the Creative Guts podcast, or Zach Umperovitch, the Rube Goldberg machine expert. Some Makers will be outside in the museum's Play Patio, like volunteers from Seacoast Permaculture offering bites of wild edible plants or helping to build bug motels. Some makers will be out in the park like volunteers from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard helping to drive SeaPerch robots around a huge pool. Some Makers will be performing on the stage like Patti and the Pop Tarts musical ensemble. And some Makers will be roaming inside and out, like Star Wars cosplayers from the 501st New England Garrison and a life-size dinosaur puppet from Sages Entertainment. Fat Pockets food truck will be parked along Washington Street and serving authentic falafel pockets.

The education team at CMNH also offers up several drop-in activities and challenges like Tile Tie Dye, a Parachute Challenge, a Bubble Bin, and make-and-take upcycle stamps.

The Children's Museum of New Hampshire, open since 1983, is an award-winning museum featuring two floors of hands-on exhibits for kids ages birth to age 12. The museum's mission is to actively engage families in hands-on discovery. "The NH Maker Fest is just one way we offer up hands-on fun to our visitors," shared Xanthi Gray, CMNH Education Director. "It's fun to mix it up for a day-long event, and invite all ages to take part in the discovery. We hope to see just as many adults as kids enjoying the Fest-ending Foam Dance Party." The Foam experience will be provided by another Fest Maker, Sages Entertainment.

The Museum would like to thank it's 2024 NH Maker Fest Sponsors including Breezeline, NHPBS, Granite State Development Corporation, The State of New Hampshire on behalf of the UNIQUE College Investing Plan, Sprague, Albany Engineered Composites, Chinburg Properties, Eversource, QA Cafe, Novocure, Beswick Engineering, Calling All Cargo, and Martel Plumbing & Heating.