Upcoming Making Montana event taps into innovation

by Mary Cloud Taylor Daily Inter Lake
| February 12, 2019 2:00 AM

Makers young and old from across the state will gather to showcase their skills in a variety of industries for the 2019 Making Montana innovation fair Friday and Saturday, Feb. 15-16.

Celebrating manufacturers and makers of all fields, including farming, technology, engineering, art, science and more, the Maker Faire offers participants and spectators a chance to learn from the pros and tout their own products.

Last year, more than 3,000 people engaged in the two-days event.

This year, technology and manufacturing companies will present their finished products and offer hands-on activities for the public on Friday.

Alongside the main event, the sixth annual Kalispell Mini Maker Faire invites local and regional makers to showcase their work and partake in talks, demonstrations and competitions on Saturday. In addition to interactive exhibits and informative presentations, the mini event includes breakout sessions for robot battles from the Glacier High School Technology Student Association, a drone demo from Birds Eye of Big Sky and the Montana Code Girls “Minnow Tank” competition.

The third annual Making Montana event will be hosted by ImagineIF Libraries, Montana West Economic Devolopment and Flathead Valley Community College.

Co-hosts include Job Service Kalispell, LC Staffing, Big Sky PR, Park Side Credit Union, Applied Materials Foundation, Weyerhaeuser, Northwest Montana Association of Realtors and Kalispell Chamber of Commerce.

Held at the Flathead County Fairgrounds, the Manufacturing and Technology Expo will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, and the Mini Maker Faire will take place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information or to register as a maker or for a class, visit https://kalispell.makerfaire.com/about/expo/.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.