Miss the Mini-Maker Faire? Check this out!

The Dragon – Aye, dragons await! A stainless steel dragon hydra, with glaring eyes and blowing steam, had its jaws operated by the wave of a hand on the first interactive stop on the Santa Cruz Mini Maker Faire tour. Kids quickly learned the technique commanding the beast to open and close its multi-headed jaws.

Fascinated youth dug and mounded in an augmented reality sandbox, which uses a depth sensor that sends infrared light down onto the “sand” material and measures the distance. It sends the information back to a computer, which sends the topography color back down as a feedback loop. Oceans appear at the deepest parts, and snow appears as mountaintops are created.

With the turn of a wheel, a replica Babbage computing system built by Tim Robinson (left) resolves another sequence. Constructed using more than 25,000 pieces, the mechanical system computes the numbers in the Four-Figure Mathematical Tables book containing values of logarithms and trigonometric functions.

Fiber Arts, hands on creativity – Young and old, novices and accomplished weavers got time at six looms set up by Saori Fiber Arts, creating unique results.

Three Dimensional Art on the Griddle – Heat produces darkness on the griddle, creating three-dimensional visual depth. Using pancake batter, the outline is shaped first, then various internal features are filled into the interior of the image. The edible art is then flipped to finish the cooking. Voilà!

How do you balance on those, anyway? – Stilt walkers Jamie and Sierra pose with the Clarke family after Jamie used the basketball hoop as a coat hanger to hold her shawl. Later, children were encouraged to walk through their “legs.”

“Please touch,” the universal invitation of the Santa Cruz Mini Maker Faire, drew children at ground level. At the Robo Cars display, “drivers” compared the speed, responsiveness and maneuverability of the vehicles.

Food truck heaven welcomed fairgoers at the inaugural Santa Cruz Mini Makers Faire. Throughout the day, food trucks kept people hydrated, caffed and carbed, from basic hotdogs to gourmet cupcake desserts. Participating vendors included Ate3One food truck, Cruz N Gourmet, Cutesy Cupcakes, Inzane Pops, Lucy’s Hot Dogs and Zameen’s Cuisine food truck. Debuting at the event was coffee infusions Spro-Kart Great Infusions.