Co-chair of the Maker Faire Organizing Committee, Alex Giannini, stared up in awe up at the massive white tent filling Jesup Green for an event he affectionately calls “the greatest show and tell on Earth.”

On Saturday, April 22, the Westport Public Library hosted its sixth annual Maker Faire which gathers scientists, tech-enthusiasts, tinkers, and interested public at Jesup Green to showcase their skills and talents in an innovative way. This is Connecticut’s largest event focused on creativity and innovation, and is free of charge for entry.

According to the Maker Faire Organizing Committee, the faire draws interests that include “artists, woodworkers, builders, musicians, people who sew, engineers, comedians, jugglers and more.”

For his first time this year, James O’Brien ’17 presented his food-computer at his own booth at the faire.

“It’s all about learning all of the creative and useful and cool things that people can make that are a lot more accessible than they think they are [...] It brings the coolest things home,” O’Brien said.

This device uses a computer to monitor the environment inside, and change the chambers’ environment in order to grow food in the best possible conditions. O’Brien created the food computer last summer after watching a Ted Talk presented by the founder of the research team developing the design of the product.

“It’s a great way to show people, and bring people closer to not only food but the technology behind it too in a new way,” O’Brien said.

Other makers presenting at the faire included Jonathan Russo, a senior at West Hill High School, who presented his computer-generated, 3D printed sculptures.

As children stared fascinated at his live design demonstration on Sculptris, a computer software, Russo reflected on the events’ impact on the community.

“I think that they’ll walk away with seeing everything which is really great because they’re exposed to the new tech that we’ve introduced to our community, and interested in what I’ve been working on. It’s kinda nice to be appreciated like that,” Russo said.

Such large appreciation after months of often year-long projects has enabled makers to pride themselves on their work, which, according to Giannini is applicable especially to the robotics teams.

“They’re in a basement or in a workshop building these robots and the only time that people ever see them is in a competition and that’s a very limited thing. Here we have 10,000 people and they get to really show off what they’ve been working on,” Giannini said.

With a record number of attendees in event history, it has opened up its grounds to the newly constructed Bedford Square in the heart of downtown Westport for the first time.

“The thing that I’m most excited about this year, is the breadth of makers. If you go around and look at all the booths, you’ll see a lot of younger makers, and that makes me happy,” Giannini said.

Some of these young makers included boy scout troops working to attain certain badges, such as the Norwalk Boy Scouts who worked to build circuits that would power an alternating LED flashlight.