Public Invited To Manufacturing & Technology Expo And Kalispell Mini Maker Faire, 2/24-25

Flathead Valley Community College’s Center for Manufacturing Advancement is joining forces with ImagineIF Libraries and other community organizations to host a two-day celebration of innovation, problem solving and collaboration. Free and open to the public, the Manufacturing & Technology Expo and the Kalispell Mini Maker Faire will take place in the Expo Building at the Flathead County Fairgrounds February 24-25.

The Manufacturing & Technology Expo is scheduled for February 24 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Local and regional manufacturers will showcase their finished products and offer hands-on activities for the public. Approximately 1,000 middle and high school students from across Northwest Montana are anticipated to attend the event as part of an effort to educate the next generation of workers about modern-day manufacturing. Event organizers encourage schools to register to attend the event by filling out a simple form at http://www.kalispell.makerfaire.com/expo.

The fourth annual Kalispell Mini Maker Faire will take place February 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature interactive exhibits and informative presentations by a variety of different types of "makers," including farmers, tech enthusiasts, engineers, do-it-yourselfers, artists, crafters and scientists.

The original Maker Faire event was held in San Mateo, Calif., in 2006. Since then the San Mateo Maker Faire has grown to feature more than 1,000 makers and more than 130,000 attendees. Community-driven Mini Maker Faires are now being produced around the world. The Kalispell Mini Maker Faire is independently organized and operated under license from Maker Media, Inc.

In addition to FVCC and ImagineIF Libraries, these events are co-hosted by Kalispell Public Schools, Montana West Economic Development, Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and Montana Manufacturing Extension Center. LC Staffing and Big Sky Public Relations are sponsors. For more information, visit kalispell.makerfaire.com or contact Megan Glidden at 758-2191.