RidgeFest, Wheat Ridge’s premier community event, will take over The Green on 38th on June 18, from 2 to 8 p.m., for the first time since 2019 with renewed enthusiasm and activities to engage the entire community.
Anchoring this year’s event is the Wheat Ridge Maker Faire, where more than 20 local makers will showcase their skills and talents in a program that is part science fair, part county fair, and part entirely something new.
Jake Martin is one of the makers who will have a booth at the event, where alongside several family members, he’ll share his creativity with the community. Martin, who works for the Colorado Department of Transportation, will be joined by his sister-in-law and grandfather in a booth that will showcase their love of casting with resin, leatherworks, woodworking and more. Their display will feature resin dice that, when rolled over an induction coil, light up with LED lights and are designed to be used with the popular tabletop role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. The unique hand-cast dice can be stored in leather bags, which Martin also creates.
Martin joined RidgeFest and the Maker Faire thanks to a love of making things for, and with, others. He’s appreciative of the event as an opportunity to bring together like-minded individuals and to open new opportunities for learning and creating. While many makers will be selling their items, the event is also an opportunity to share in their work, learn new skills, and showcase what can happen when you pursue the opportunity to learn a new skill.
The Wheat Ridge Maker Faire is part of a larger effort by Localworks to create a permanent Makerspace where the community can come together for hands-on learning, to explore new tools and technologies, and to share ideas.
As just one of several exciting events that will take place at RidgeFest, the Maker Faire will be featured alongside an exciting line-up of free activities, including:
• Live music and an Instrument Petting Zoo from Swallow Hill Music
• Food trucks, including local favorites I Know You Sliders, iPie, Rolling Smoke BBQ, Em’s Ice Cream and Ba-nom-a-nom
• Beer, wine and spirits from Rickoli Brewing, Colorado Plus Brew Pub, New Image Brewing, Infinite Monkey Theorem and Laws Whiskey
• An interactive Kids’ Zone with face painting, a caricature artist, an inflatable obstacle course and a human-sized version of the Hungry Hungry Hippos game!
Wheat Ridge and neighboring communities are invited to join us June 18 on The Green, 7101 W. 38th Ave. For more information about RidgeFest, the Wheat Ridge Maker Faire and Makerspace, visit wearelocalworks.org.
Jeremy Schwartz is Localworks’ Interim Executive Director.
