O'Reilly
October 10, 2007

Austin Mayor Declares Oct. 20 & 21 Maker's Weekend--O'Reilly Media Alert: Mayor Will Wynn Honors Maker Faire Austin

Sebastopol, CA--The slogan "Keep Austin Weird" is a popular one, but more than just a slogan, it summarizes why Austin is such a likeable and unique destination, not only in Texas, but also throughout the South. Well, Austin is about to get even weirder!

The geek-loving, gadget-happy, DIY-fest, known as Maker Faire Austin, is less than two weeks away. Tickets for the Oct. 20 to 21 event are selling fast, and geeks and hackers from across the country (and even overseas) are making their travel plans. To welcome them, Austin Mayor Will Wynn has officially declared the weekend "Maker's Weekend."

"Austin is such a creative, vibrant town, and Maker Faire fits right in to our vibe and spirit," explained Mayor Wynn. "America has such a thirst right now for creative self-expression. We also have an incredible need for out-of-the-box innovation. Maker Faire embodies the best of both of these worlds, and in a way that's smart and fun. Therefore, we couldn't be happier to welcome Maker Faire to Austin and to declare Oct. 20-21, 'Maker's Weekend.'"

At Maker Faire technology meets art, science meets fashion, engineering meets crafting, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. It's the "Frankenstein" of fairs, featuring: cool robots, clever gadgets, backyard inventions, knitted wonders, renegade fashions, cars and bikes like you've never seen before, the occasional fireball, honey-making, iPhone-hacking, clothes-swapping, music-making, and much, much more!

Check out the Maker Faire website for a complete overview of Makers and scheduled programming. Updates will be taking place over the next few days:
http://www.makerfaire.com

There are many exciting featured attractions planned at Maker Faire throughout the weekend. Check out these highlights:

Maker Faire Austin

For more information about Maker Faire Austin (http://www.makerfaire.com) or to speak with Director Sherry Huss, please contact: Mark Ballard at 212-255-8455 or Mark@rosengrouppr.com.

Special Maker Faire media preview on Friday, Oct. 19, 2007. For information, call 212-255-8455 x 225

Advance Praise
"It's a PG-Rated Burning Man Festival, where a happy crowd of geeks, gearheads and high school science nerds gathers to watch its creations?the festival's central principle is radical self-expression. But it is also inspired by care of the Earth through alternative energy, recycling and innovation."
? The San Jose Mercury News

About Maker Media
Maker Media is a division of O'Reilly Media devoted entirely to the growing community of resourceful people who believe that if you can imagine it, you can make it. Manifested in the pages of Make magazine (http://www.makezine.com), Craft magazine (www.craftzine.com), and the Hacks book series (www.hackszine.com), and coming to physical life at the incredible Maker Faire (www.makerfaire.com) events, Maker Media encourages the Do-It-Yourself mentality by providing creative inspiration and instruction.

About O'Reilly

O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

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