NH Maker Fest

Rain or Shine!

Saturday, June 6, 2026

10am–3pm

Inside CMNH, outside in the park, and on the stage!

COST: Suggested $5/person donation

Purchase Advance Tickets to NH Maker Fest

Join us at the 14th annual New Hampshire Maker Fest, an all ages celebration of creativity and innovation taking place in and around the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in downtown Dover. From engineers to artists, to scientists, to chefs, the NH Maker Fest is a day for these “Makers” to show hobbies, experiments, projects, and for all of us to discover something new! It’s a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness.

Because we need to make room for all the Makers, some of the museum exhibits won’t be accessible as usual. This is not a normal day of play at the museum, which is why you can’t reserve tickets for normal play sessions. The Fest is family friendly, and admission is a suggested $5/person donation. You can reserve tickets online or donate when you arrive. We thank our generous sponsors for helping us keep this an “entry by donation” event.

2026 Fest Schedule

CMNH Family-Friendly Workshops outside in the park (under CMNH Tent)

10–11am: Parachute Challenge

11:30-11:45am: 1st Parachute Drop from Museum Rooftop!* Can be viewed from outside the Play Patio.
*Weather permitting

12:30–1:30pm: Parachute Challenge

1:45–2pm: 2nd Parachute Drop from Museum Rooftop!* Can be viewed from outside the Play Patio. *Weather permitting

1:30-2:30pm: Snap Circuit Fun with UNH

Roaming Around the Fest

501st New England Garrison Star Wars cosplayers

Robot “Dog” with Sages Entertainment

CMNH Family-Friendly Fun Inside the Museum’s Play Loft

11-11:30am: Dash Robot Demos!

Family-Friendly Performances on the Stage

10:30–10:30am: Family-Friendly DJ Dance Party with Avery Sol Music, smART CIRCLES hula hooping, and Unravel NH

12–12:30pm: McDonough-Grimes Irish Dancers

1-1:05pm: Saber Guild Chandrila Temple lightsaber stage performance

1:10-1:40pm: Saber Guild Chandrila Temple 1st Padawan Training Class

1:45-2:15pm: Saber Guild Chandrila Temple 2nd Padawan Training Class

Bubble Pop Dance Party outside on the Play Patio

2:15–2:45pm: Celebrate another NH Maker Fest with BUBBLES–big bubbles, fog bubbles–can you pop them all!?

2026 Participating Makers

Dover Shockwave Robotics

Let this Dover High School robotics team show you how their basketball throwing robot works!

Sweet Treats Bootique

These Makers bring handcrafted gourmet chocolates and fun creative treats to the Fest–perfect for a sweet break while you explore all our amazing Makers!

Riddlehaven Escape Room

Makers Kim and Will Willoughby have been busy cooking up custom props and puzzles using microcontrollers, 3D printers, laser cutters, and more for their new escape room business!

ATinNH MakerAbility Hub

Creativity, community, and technology come together to improve access and independence for people with disabilities across NH at the ATinNH MakerAbility Lab. See if you have what it takes to participate in their design challenge!

We Are DINOstanders

Author and professional speaker Jamie Devin Wilson will be selling her book “We are DINOstanders!”–a book on kindness, setting boundaries, and learning bystander intervention skills. Great book for kids ages 2-6.

Author/Illustrator Gina Perry

Gina’s latest picture book “The King of Books” is a funny story about a confident tiger who needs to save his kingdom through the power of books! Gina will be sharing dino themed drawing activities at the Fest.

Trailblazer Books

Carolyn Watkins is a local author who writes picture books for kids designed to help children navigate life’s biggest moments with courage, kindness, and resilience.

Haley Searcy Art

This local artist will be offering a “make-your-own button” station! Be sure to shop her fun stickers, pins, and t-shirts for sale!

Girl Scouts of the Green & White Mountains

Stop in to learn about all the Girl Scouts have to offer, and do a family friendly craft and activity for free (all children welcome, not just girls!)

Comic Artist Emily Drouin

Be inspired to create your next comic adventure with comic artist and illustrator Emily!

Flamingo Magic

This 3D printer will be selling all sorts of adorable creatures, and you can test out their reusable activity coloring plates!

Service Credit Union

One of our NH Maker Fest sponsors, they’ll be giving away a variety of family friendly items!

Lazer Brain Comics

Ryan L. Higgins creates and publishes his own kid-friendly comics and games. Stop by and learn how to draw super heroes and pokemon characters!

UNIQUE College Investing Plan

UNIQUE is the NH sponsored 529 Education Savings Plan account, managed by Fidelity Investments, as well as a NH Maker Fest sponsor! Stop by to say hello and get some branded gifts and merchandise!

Ride the Robot

This Dover-based school-aged robotics team will let Fest attendees driving a robot around their space!

FOOD TRUCKS

Whoa Nellie

Zao non-dairy Gelato

Kona Ice

Pumpkin Wizard Publishing

Authors Caitlin Crowley and Derek Dextraze have been writing children’s books since 2014, bringing imagination and heart to every story! Stop in to color, and read their 4 picture books or 7 youth chapter books!

Genuine Chakra Jewelry

Michele will offer handmade jewelry made with gemstones, crystals, clay, and metal. Stop in to shop, and make your own beaded creation!

CoastX

This Maine non-profit runs ocean-focused experiential learning programs based on art, engineering, and exploration science. Stop by to see their ROV and create a mini lobster buoy!

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard STEM Outreach

Discover and drive an underwater ROV or SeaPerch in a 100 gallon pool set up just for the Fest!

UNH STEM-MoBILE

Come aboard the STEM Mobile Biofabrication Integrated Lab Experience run by UNH Manchester and try your hand at making “bio-bubbles”.

Paint for Fun

Stop in and say hi to Patti and friends and get your face painted or paint your own plaster item to take home!

Lowel Kinetic Sculpture Race

This human-powered all-terrain sculpture race (takes place in Lowell, MA) that traverses cobblestones, city streets, a mud pit and even the Merrimack River will have one of their kinetic sculptures on hand!

Unravel NH

This local nonprofit will offer a hands-on garden-inspired sensory bin experience, and has partnered with smART Circles hula hooping and DJ Avery for the family friendly dance party that will held on the stage at 10:30am.

smART CIRCLES

Let SJ show you the joys of hula hooping with handmade hoops, and during the family friendly dance party on the stage at 10:30am.

Bookish Bliss Mobile Bookstore

Come shop inside this one-of-a-kind mobile bookshop, bringing the magic of books directly to the community!

Handmade by Jaie

Jaie is a Dover local maker who loves kids and loves to craft! Come shop her jewelry, accessories and more, and even make your own bracelet or Kindness Card!

MudCity Clay

Makers from this community clay studio located in the historic Gonic Mill will be doing wheel and handbuilding demos. Come play with clay!

NHPBS

Discover all the STEM resources available from NHPBS, one of our NH Maker Fest sponsors, and make a kaleidoscope to take home!

The Youngest Lobsterman Young Author

Elle is the 11 year old author of a children’s picture book, illustrated by Karen Goodwin. Meet the author and learn some lobstering basics!

C&B Creative Face Painting & More

Come shop Elizabeth’s hand-made jewelry, get your face painted for $5 or do some free rock painting with paint pens!

Shake-It-Up Butter

Let these young entrepreneurs show you how to make your own butter to take home for $4/jar!

Stars & Skulls

Stop into this kid-owned and made kandi accessory shop! Every piece is hand-made, so no two pieces are alike, and whether you are looking to get something to trade with friends or to treasure forever, this Maker has you covered!

CoGo Shine: Home Nuclear Science

Maxwell is a scientist and element collector dedicated to exploring the nuclear world! Stop by and let him demistify the world of radioactive isotopes in everyday objects.

Fun with Circuits with UNH

Stop into the outdoor education tent to build sirens, flying saucers, and secret alarms with snap circuits from 1:30-2:30pm

FAQs

K

L

So if I want to come play in the museum, I can't on this day?

If you are looking to access ALL of our exhibits, then today isn't the best day to visit. However, exhibits that don't have Makers set up in them will be accessible; these may include: Primary Place, Pattern Palace, Cave Explorers, and Little Farmers on the 2nd floor of the museum.

K

L

Will you cancel if there's bad weather?

The NH Maker Fest is a rain or shine event! We put Makers both inside and outside the museum, and Makers who are outside will be under tents in case of rain. For everyone's safety, based on weather, some performances may have to be postponed or cancelled. The same goes for the Bubble Pop Party at the end of the Fest.

K

L

I'm a Museum (or ACM/ASTC) Member. Can I visit the Fest for free?

Entry into the Fest is by a suggested $5 for everyone, so it's totally up to you!

NH Maker Fest Through the Years!

2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024