The 2026 Maker Faire Orlando fills the Central Florida Fairgrounds with makers, robots, cosplay, STEM demos and hands-on workshops Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 7–8.
Quick Facts
- When: Saturday, Nov. 7 & Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026 · 10 a.m.–5 p.m. both days
- Where: Central Florida Fairgrounds & Expo Halls, 4603 W. Colonial Dr., Orlando, FL 32808
- Tickets: Pre-sale one-day adult $20 / youth & student $15; two-day adult $30 / youth & student $25 (pre-sale ends Fri., Nov. 6). Gate one-day adult $25 / youth & student $20; two-day adult $35 / youth & student $30
- Free / discounted: Ages 2 & under free; educators, first responders, active military and veterans free with ID; EBT Making For All $5/person/day
- Parking: Free on-site
If your weekend plan involves robots, cosplay, homemade synths or kids who want to touch everything, Maker Faire Orlando is the local show-and-tell that actually delivers. The independently organized festival returns to the fairgrounds west of downtown for two full days of exhibits, stage talks, competitions and hands-on making — produced by The Maker Effect Foundation, a Central Florida 501(c)(3) that funds maker programs in schools and community spaces.
What’s on the floor
Organizers describe 250+ exhibits across robotics, cosplay, STEM and STEAM, electronics, crafts, tools, content creators and “crazy things you’ve never seen.” Most exhibits and hands-on activities run continuously through both days. Indoor halls and outdoor exhibits share the site; rain or shine, per the ticket listing. Orange County Hype has not attended this year’s Faire, so we’re not ranking exhibits or inventing walk-through notes.
Your ticket also includes Robot Ruckus, the combat-robot competition with builders from around the U.S. and robots on display from the BattleBots TV show, according to the official Humanitix listing. Power Racing Series, hands-on workshops and Main Stage talks round out the program — check the Maker Faire Orlando schedule for timed demos and panels.
Tickets before you go
Buy on Humanitix. Pre-sale rates (through Fri., Nov. 6) are $20 one-day adult / $15 youth & student, or $30 / $25 for a two-day pass. After pre-sale, gate rates are $25 / $20 one-day and $35 / $30 two-day. Youth tickets cover ages 3–17; student tickets also cover current college students with ID. Ages 2 and under do not need a ticket.
Free or reduced admission is built in for a lot of Orange County households: educators (schools, colleges, universities, libraries) free with ID; first responders, active military and veterans free with ID at the booth; registered Title I school groups free; and Making For All families with an EBT card pay $5 per person, per day. Weekend passes cannot be shared. Single-day passes work on either Saturday or Sunday.
Field Trip Day for schools and homeschool families is Friday, Nov. 6 — separate from the public weekend.
What to know on site
Parking is free on-site. Strollers, backpacks and a bottle of water are allowed. No outside food or drinks unless you have a medical, dietary or religious need — food vendors will be there. No pets (trained service animals welcome). The event uses three large indoor exhibit halls plus outdoor exhibits and competitions.
Why We’re Hyped
This is one of the few Orange County weekends where robotics, cosplay, Power Racing and hands-on STEM share the same fairgrounds ticket — and the free/discount ladder (educators, military/first responders, EBT Making For All, under-2 free) makes it unusually approachable for families who usually skip ticketed festivals.
The Details
- Event: Maker Faire Orlando 2026
- Dates: Saturday, Nov. 7 & Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026
- Hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. both days
- Location: Central Florida Fairgrounds & Expo Halls, 4603 W. Colonial Dr., Orlando, FL 32808
- Organizer: The Maker Effect Foundation (independently organized under license from Make: Community, LLC)
- Tickets (Humanitix, re-fetched Nov. 6, 2026): Pre-sale one-day adult $20 / youth & student $15 · pre-sale two-day adult $30 / youth & student $25 (pre-sale ends Fri., Nov. 6) · gate one-day adult $25 / youth & student $20 · gate two-day adult $35 / youth & student $30 · ages 2 & under free · youth ages 3–17 · student tickets include current college ID · rain or shine · no refunds
- Free / discounted: Educators free with ID · first responders / active military / veterans free with ID · registered Title I school groups free · Making For All (EBT) $5 per person per day
- Includes: Exhibits, hands-on activities, Main Stage programming, Robot Ruckus combat robots (BattleBots display per ticket listing)
- Parking: Free on-site
- Policies: No outside food/beverages (medical/dietary/religious exceptions) · strollers, backpacks, water bottle OK · no pets · ADA service animals welcome · weekend passes not shareable
- Official info: makerfaireorlando.com/attend
- Tickets: Humanitix — Maker Faire Orlando
- Schedule / program: makerfaireorlando.com/schedule
