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PlaceMakers | Rochester Prototyping Festival

Date: September 15 - 17, 2016
Time: Thursday 4 pm - 8 pm, Friday 11 am - 10 pm, Saturday 10 am - 1 pm
Where: 3rd Street SW by 1st Ave SW, Downtown Rochester, MN
Cost: FREE

PlaceMakers is Rochester's prototyping festival offering the public a glimpse into the many different ways a public space can be transformed.

Join the community in this three-day public space design festival as 16 teams called, "Makers," create life-size prototypes that show different ways public spaces can be improved upon. Click here for more information about the 16 different prototypes.

What is Prototyping & Why?

Prototyping: (noun) to create, test and try an experimental model of a new idea or object.

Prototyping public space is a way of involving a range of people like creatives, builders and artists to come up with possible solutions to a physical space. Think of a prototyping festival as a "block party for the future of our city."*

Schedule & Activities

All sixteen prototypes will be open and available for viewing and interaction during the dates and times listed below. Additional activities and schedule available by clicking the dates below.

Day 1 - Thursday, September 15

Festival Open: 4 pm - 8 pm

Theme: Professional Night Out

4 pm - 6 pm - Reception and Kickoff at Dooley's Pub Patio: A special reception to kick-off PlaceMakers 2016 to recognize and congratulate the 75+ individuals who make up the 16 prototyping teams shaping “Health and the Built Environment” in Rochester! Click here to RSVP via our Facebook Event Page.

4 pm - 8 pm - Makers Demonstrations: Makers will provide live demonstrations about their prototypes. Check back for updates.

5 pm - 8 pm - Live DJ: Live DJ entertainment by Apollo Music Group.

6 pm - 8 pm - Mayo Clinic Transform: We are excited to have members of the international Mayo Clinic Transform community join us as part of their three-day innovation conference, September 14-16.

Food/Beverage Tents: Check back for updates.

Day 2 - Friday, September 16

Festival Open: 11 am - 10 pm

Theme: A Day of PlaceMakers

Meet the Makers and Their Prototypes: Makers get the chance to present on their protypes seen at PlaceMakers | Rochester Prototyping Festival. Schedule below:

  • 11:30 am - Rocker Talker
  • 11:45 am - Sit next to Me, Sue!
  • Noon - Creative Crosswalks
  • 12:20 pm - Artscaping the Bikeway
  • 12:45 pm - Bike Corral
  • 5 pm - Destination Inner Peace
  • 5:30 pm - Kids on the Block
  • 5:45 - Chime In
  • 6 pm - SWAMP
  • 6:30 pm - Recharging Stormwater
  • 7 pm - Living Wall
  • 7:15 pm - Multilingual Pedestrian Signage
  • 7:30 pm - Inner Ear Echo
  • 8 pm - Town Cube
  • 8:15 pm - Info Alley
  • 8:30 pm - The Artery

5 pm - 8 pm - Live DJ: Live DJ entertainment by Apollo Music Group.

9 pm - 10 pm - Artbash at PlaceMakers: Rochester Art Center invites Artbash attendees to PlaceMakers for a very special after party bash.

Food/Beverage Tents: Check back for updates

Day 3 - Saturday, September 17

Festival Open: 10 am - 1 pm

Themes: Kids & Families

Kids Passport Activity: Kids are encouraged to pick up a PlaceMakers Exploration Passport.

Pick up a PlaceMakers Passport from the Information Tent

Visit at least 8 prototypes to be entered to win 1 of 3 prizes.  Prizes include a membership to the Rochester Children's Museum and gift cards to Games by James  

FREE cookie for each child who completes and turns in a passport. Cookies provided by City Market.

Additional Kids Activities by Rochester Art Center

Food/Beverage Tents: Check back for updates

    Prototyping potential solutions shows the community the many ways a public space can be transformed

    Other Links

    Prototypes & Makers
    Maker's Resources / Maker's Night
    Call for Proposals (application closed)

    News

    PlaceMakers | Rochester Prototyping Festival selections made - Press Release
    RDA DMC Call for Proposals - Press Release
    Looking for ideas in downtown Rochester - KIMT 3
    Calling all artists and makers — prototyping festival now accepting proposals - The Med City Beat
    R-Town, the show about Rochester (Episode 106), - KSMQ TV
    RDA DMC Call for Proposals - Post-Bulletin

    Presented by

    In Partnership with

    Supporting Partner

    Participating Partner

    With generous support from

    *Source, Ray Boyle, Our City Co-Founder