The 13th annual West Virginia Makes Festival, presented by Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center (MAMC), is shaping up to be a cornucopia of creativity and ingenuity as makers of all ages converge on Marshall University’s Memorial Student Center Friday, Oct. 2, to showcase what they make.
There’s still time to enter the festival’s Design Challenge for a chance to win a share of $4,100 in prize money, offer hands-on making activities or simply showcase your creations. Learn more and sign up at www.mfg.marshall.edu/26wvmakes.
The festival is free and open to the public and will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine.
“We’ve got another great lineup of makers scheduled to attend this year’s festival,” said MAMC Maker Vault/STEM Coordinator Tyler Brandstetter. “Come see the exhibits, engage in some hands-on making and cheer on your favorite maker in our annual Design Challenge. There will be plenty of activities to spark the curiosity of people of all ages.”
A new addition to this year’s festival will be Blenko Glass Company’s mobile glassmaking unit. Festivalgoers can watch artisans bring glass creations to life while learning about the ancient craft from one of the nation’s oldest and most respected glass manufacturers.
This year’s Makes Festival also coincides with National Manufacturing Day, providing an opportunity to spotlight the people and technology behind modern manufacturing. Leading West Virginia manufacturers will offer hands-on activities, including Toyota West Virginia, which will feature a robotic game, and Nucor Steel West Virginia, which will offer an interactive activity that tests the quality of chocolate, using methods similar to those the company employs to test the quality of steel.
The Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences of West Virginia will offer a robot-building activity using recycled materials, while the Putnam Area Robotics Team will showcase its custom-built robot and give attendees an opportunity to test drive it.
Hundreds of K-12 students scheduled to attend the festival will have plenty of opportunities to explore science and the natural world. They can launch air-powered rockets provided by the Fairmont State University SciTech Education Resource Center and bottle rockets presented by Marshall University’s Alpha Chi Sigma chemical sciences fraternity. They’ll also have the chance to learn about and interact with a tortoise, bearded dragon, snakes and other exotic animals from the Wildlife & Discovery Center of West Virginia.
Marshall University’s Physics Department will offer multiple interactive demonstrations designed to help participants explore scientific concepts through hands-on activities. The Center for Appalachian Narratives at Marshall’s Drinko Library will host a zine-making activity, while Huntington Museum of Art Artist in Residence Kathleen Kneafsey will demonstrate the art of creating wheel-thrown pottery.
Putnam Career and Technical Center’s Project Lead the Way Pre-Engineering Program will showcase drones and discuss their applications in engineering, including how the technology is being used in industry and other real-world settings.
A longtime Makes Fest favorite, the June Harless Center at Marshall will host its annual pumpkin drop. Hundreds of school-age children will put their engineering skills to the test as they drop pumpkins in protective devices they designed and built. The pumpkin drop begins at 10:30 a.m. on the field behind the Campus Christian Center.
MAMC also will offer welding, 3D printing and VEX robotics demonstrations, according to Brandstetter.
“That’s just a sample of what the 2026 West Virginia Makes Festival offers,” Brandstetter said. “They’ll also be individuals showing off their inventors and crafters and hobbyists from across the region exhibiting – and selling – their creations. Come out and support these makers of all ages.”
With hands-on activities, interactive demonstrations, creative exhibits and makers showcasing everything from art to advanced technology, the 2026 West Virginia Makes Festival promises something for everyone.
Learn more and sign up at www.mfg.marshall.edu/26wvmakes. For more information, contact Brandstetter at .
The 2026 West Virginia Makes Festival is made possible with the generous financial support of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and Hope Gas.
Sept. 28, 2026
