Right in Circuit Cellar‘s backyard, a group of dedicated makers, technologists, artists, and entrepreneurs has spent the past year planning, building, and equipping a brand new space to serve the Connecticut capital’s maker community. The fruits of their labor, MakeHartford, held its grand opening and ribbon-cutting event  January 25th.

Steven Yanicke, founder and president of MakeHartford, welcomed a crowd of more than 75 people before turning the microphone over to Hartford Mayor Pedro E. Segarra, a strong supporter of the educational and innovation opportunities that MakeHartford represents. Wielding a ceremonial power saw in true maker fashion, Segarra cut the machine-carved “ribbon,” signifying the official opening of MakeHartford.

 

Throughout the afternoon, MakeHartord members talked with visitors from the community, entrepreneurial development organizations, and schools, showing their projects and discussing their plans for using the space. The event included presentations and demonstrations covering everything from traditional and modern ham radio to Arduino-powered wearable art to tessellation origami.

Adults and kids alike listened to the Gus Robotics Team 228 from Meriden, CT, talk about its VEX robots, while members of the West Hartford-based Athena’s Warriors FIRST Robotics Team were on hand to show off their mechanized, computerized creations. A “deconstruction table” gave guests the opportunity to void warranties and open up everyday items—printers, keyboards, routers, motor controllers—to begin to understand that “what’s inside the box still counts.”

For more information about MakeHartford, contact [email protected]