Plan Your Day at Milwaukee Maker Festivals

There’s nothing like gathering with people who really “get” you. And when it comes to makers, the more the merrier! That was our philosophy when we decided to greatly expand our events lineup for 2023. We added more locations, and we increased the number of crafts covered at each location. We kicked off this year with our Loveland Maker Festivals event, which combined Yarn Fest (knitting, crochet, weaving, and handspinning) with Stitch Fest (quilting, sewing, and embroidery). Now it’s time to make the party even bigger in Milwaukee, where we’re adding Bead Fest (bead weaving, bead embroidery, metalsmithing, and more) to the mix.

There’s so much to look forward to at the Milwaukee Maker Festivals event. Whether you’re planning, like me, to spend the whole weekend at Maker Festivals or just a single, blissful afternoon, I can’t recommend strongly enough that you go in with a game plan. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and let the experience carry you along. While you’ll still have a great time if that happens, you might find yourself feeling some FOMO (fear of missing out) or regrets after the event if you don’t make the most of it.

Related: See You In Milwaukee! About Our 2023 Event

This guide is to help you think of everything so you can plan to have an awesome time!

Make an Agenda

For however many days you’re going, I recommend making an agenda that breaks down your time by the hour. Ideally, do this before you register for your workshops to make sure you don’t double-book yourself. Then you can fill in the workshops as you register and be sure you leave time to eat, shop, and simply rest. Remember that the Marketplace is open Thursday-Saturday for shopping. You’ll definitely want to leave yourself plenty of time to browse and shop.

Plan Your Workshops

Workshops are offered Wednesday through Saturday at Maker Festivals, and there are so many to choose from—including for media and crafts you might never have tried before! Be sure to check out all three websites, Yarn Fest, Bead Fest, and Stitch Fest, to make sure you don’t miss anything.

You can sort workshops by day/time, craft, skill level, and instructor, so you can fill gaps in your day, look for your favorites, or target a specific technique. You can also look at a PDF that has all of the workshop information for each event, but note that some of the workshops may be sold out. The information on the registration page will be accurate as to whether the workshops are available.

Only you can know what your stamina is for workshops. I encourage you to challenge yourself but also to take care of yourself. Choose a workshop outside of your comfort zone, maybe bookended with some lighter content for a mix of engagement and opportunities to rest your brain.

Don’t forget to learn more about your instructors and follow them on social media! Let them know you’re excited to see them at Yarn Fest and stay connected after the event.

The Event Stage

We’re so excited to welcome Jewel School from “Jewelry Television ” to the Milwaukee Maker Festivals event! If you aren’t familiar with Jewel School, it is a jewelry making academy, which you’ll find on cable TV and online. Jewel School hosts and their guests help you bring your jewelry making and DIY ideas to life with inspiring tips, techniques, and trends. Plus, you can shop for all your jewelry making essentials, beads, and supplies at JTV.com.

They’ll be taking over the event stage on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday, with a variety of presenters including Sarah Lovecraft, Robert Thomas, Laura Graham, and Wyatt White. Jewelry making and beadwork are their specialties, but they will be adding knitting, sewing, and quilting to the mix for a true Maker Festivals spectacular!

Here’s the full schedule (all times in CST) of the Jewel School event stage takeover:

Friday 5/26

2:00-3:00pm Jewel School takes over Bead Fest live audience show
3:00-4:00pm Master Maker show with Sara Lovecraft

Saturday 5/27

10:30-11:30am Maker Panel Interview
12:00-1:00pm Jewel School takes over Bead Fest live audience show
1:30-2:00pm Jewel School Make and Take – live on stage demo
2:30-3:30pm Rockstar Designer Challenge

There will be prizes and giveaways throughout the takeover, so be sure to stop by often and watch! If you can’t be there in person, tune in to JTV Extra at jtv.com/extra or watch the live stream on the Jewel School Facebook page.

JTV was an absolute smash hit at our 2022 Lancaster event—don’t miss out!

Marketplace

Don’t forget to purchase your marketplace tickets in advance, to save money on the door price. However, don’t forget that you will receive a FREE 3-day marketplace admission pass when you register for at least one 3 hour or longer workshop!

We will also have a Measuring Station at the marketplace, where you can have an expert take your measurements and get information on how to apply them. Also, be sure to check out our fashion show each day in the Marketplace, to see samples from Interweave Knits, Sew News, and more.

Before You Go

Plan and Budget Your Purchases

You can find out about the vendors who will be there in advance so that you can plan what you’re looking for! Setting a budget is never fun, but it’s a good idea to make sure you don’t overspend and that you leave enough money for your top-priority purchases.

You’ll find links to the vendors websites. Plus, be sure to check them out on social media to see what they’re planning on bringing to the show.

Do Your Homework

If one or more of your workshops has homework, be sure to complete that before you go or on the plane. Your instructor will send you instructions if there’s anything you need to complete before your workshop.

Pack Your Bags

You’ll know you’re almost there when it’s time to pack your bags!

What to Bring

Be sure to double check that supply list for your workshops! You don’t want to be scrambling once you’re there.

Think About Food

Food and beverage service will be available onsite for you to refuel or to take a break. There are also many local restaurants and chains within a driving distance.

At Maker Festivals Milwaukee

Check In

When you arrive for your first workshop or marketplace day, you can pick up your materials at the registration desk. To receive a tote bag full of goodies, you must purchase at least one workshop. You can also sign up for more workshops at the registration desk.

Then you can take your workshop ticket and supplies directly to your classroom, or head into the Marketplace.

Enjoy Yourself

The most important part of the whole experience! Remember, you’re here to have fun, learn, and make new friends. Be friendly, introduce yourself, compliment someone’s sweater—you never know who you’ll meet, from your favorite designer to a new lifelong friend.

Be sure to stop by the community area in the Marketplace to say hello and join in on our community projects.

At the End of the Day

After a long day of learning and shopping, wind down in whatever way makes sense to you. For some, that’s retreating to the hotel room and hoarding your yarn purchases like a dragon—or practicing the new skills you learned in workshops.

For others, that means heading out to one of the many local breweries in the area and decompressing with new and old friends.

Don’t forget to budget in some time to document your purchases and plan your future makes! You’re sure to be so inspired at the end of your experience that your personal project queue will grow significantly.

Remember, there’s no wrong way to enjoy an event like Maker Festivals!

Will we see you at the Milwaukee Maker Festivals event? Let us know what you’re most excited for in the comments!