ORANGE — From the Upcycle Fashion show to the Every Last Scrap Challenge, LaunchSpace’s inaugural ReMake Festival on Saturday has a variety of events geared toward teaching the community how to live more sustainably.

According to LaunchSpace founder, President and CEO Brianna Drohen, the festival’s goal is to show residents how to use makerspaces — a place with specialty equipment where people can gather to work on projects while sharing ideas — and support reuse, recycling and upcycling so fewer things go into the landfill.

“Community sustainability is not throwing things away,” she said. “It’s giving things new purpose or longer lives.”

The free festival has activities planned from noon to 4 p.m, including workshops, demonstrations, maker challenges and an auction to support youth programs and scholarships. There will be a gallery of local artists, stained glass and jewelry repair, and a community weaving project, among other features. Everything will be held at LaunchSpace, located at 131 West Main St., Suite 342.

Drohen said one highlight will be the Upcycle Fashion challenge, where participants will take different kinds of materials and make something “really fun and fabulous.” There will also be a Catwalk Parade later in the day where the different creations will be showcased.

“It’s a really fun way to rethink how materials exist in your surroundings,” she said, “and how to use them and have fun with it.”

The Every Last Scrap Challenge will help people develop skills to use every material provided in a custom-made bag. Drohen said volunteers at LaunchSpace made the bags that will hold directions for the challenge, which involves using each piece of material to make something useful to put on display.

The bags can be picked up during LaunchSpace’s normal hours and up until 11 a.m. the day of the festival. Completed pieces must be turned in by 1 p.m on Saturday, June 24, for judging. The winner of the Every Last Scrap Challenge will be chosen at 3 p.m. that day.

“I think everything that comes from this challenge will be very abstract,” Drohen said. “It’s going to be fun seeing what people come up with.”

LaunchSpace is a nonprofit that is dedicated to supporting innovative economic development in the community by providing opportunities to explore and develop hands-on skills in support of enhanced personal satisfaction, increased employment value and business incubation to benefit individuals, schools, businesses and the broader community. Drohen noted that makerspaces provide tools, new skills and skill sharing, which ties in with LaunchSpace’s mission.

“It’s about connecting with the community,” Drohen explained, “and that’s what we’re hoping for — people sharing their talents.”

To register for the ReMake Festival, visit bit.ly/3pdx8Kq.

Max Bowen can be reached at mbowen@recorder.com or
413-930-4074.

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