Photos: Maker Faire unboxed

The Maker Faire, which took place over the weekend in San Mateo, Calif., celebrated the do-it-yourself ethos. This manifested in both the "makers" who brought their personal projects and the attendees, including the ones who chose to interact with the projects.

The festival was the third in San Mateo, in addition to one held last fall in Austin, Texas. It is put on by the people behind Make magazine. In 2006, 20,000 people attended the Bay Area event. In 2007, that number swelled to 40,000. It is not clear how many people attended over the weekend. But if the hefty crowds were any indication, the figure surely increased.

Here, a participant plays on 2piR, a project of Bay Area arts group Interpretive Arson. The project tasks participants with standing on a platform in the middle of a ring of propane-fueled fire jets. As those standing on the platform move, sensors respond by shooting fire from the jets. The project, a hit at Burning Man 2007, was making its first appearance at Maker Faire.