Last year, we kicked off an exciting, brand-new showcase of Metro Detroit’s talented, innovative creative class – Maker Faire Detroit!

More than 18,000 people came to this two-day festival to see hundreds of inventors and tinkerers – we call them Makers – as they shared their work in science and technology, engineering, food and arts and crafts. If you couldn’t make it last year, here’s a great video to get you excited for this year’s Maker Faire Detroit, which will be held July 30-31, 2011! Tickets are now on sale for members; non-member tickets go on sale May 4.

The best part for us was watching as thousands of visitors’ eyes lit up with new potential and possibility – the spark of creativity igniting as they made connections between past innovators like Thomas Edison and Henry Ford to today’s technology, and perhaps imagining how they can be part of it too.

Want to be part of Maker Faire Detroit? We’re still accepting applications for Makers – but better hurry; the deadline is June 1!

And just for fun, here’s a short video showing Henry Ford (well, sort of) as he made his way to Maker Faire Detroit last year – we hope to see you here this July!

Did you attend Maker Faire Detroit last year? Which Makers were your favorites?