I headed down to the Maker Faire a week ago for a much needed shot of creativity. For any dormant scientist or hopeful weekend inventor, this is your Nirvana.

My filter was a little off with all of the pre-buzz about the Maker Faire and the caliber of brands that we have been in conversations with who were interested in presence at the event. I was expecting a more polished, family-friendly Burning Man where art and science come together. However, Maker Faire leans way more heavily on the tinkering end of the spectrum than the artist’s side with large-scale inventions that look like something out of Mad Max sitting next to a computer-programmer who has been hard at work in his garage with a soldering device displaying his wares on a card table.

For those like me who were expecting science sitting next to Dwell-inspired design and Slow Food innovative cuisine – you are out of luck and will have to settle for a grown-up science fair complete with chain-link fences, cheese steaks and funnel cakes – with not an organic green to be seen for miles.

However, I recommend you put your Northern Californian sensibilities aside, dive right in and embrace your inner inventor. You will be energized by all of the hands-on, interactive fun for guests of all ages who can’t wait to take over the robot controls or board the harmonic swing for a ride.

GE’s Carousolar was inspired and the LEGO good times were flowing in the main Expo Hall. I think this is one of those rare happenings that is still ripe for thoughtful brand experiences – it doesn’t feel over-run with logos and brands have a captive audience with whom to deeply engage if they have a great brand interaction to share – @HomeDepot, @LeapFrog, @Google, @AnniesOrganics… I will be calling you to discuss a 2012 approach!

Gabrey