On a sunny Saturday afternoon, hundreds of visitors roamed around Jesup Green to enjoy the third annual Mini Maker Faire, where people of all ages were encouraged to experiment with and experience the excitement of hands-on learning.

The faire, put on in partnership with the Westport Public Library, celebrates the international “maker movement,” which emphasizes hands on building and exploring new technologies.

This year, over 4000 attendees and nearly 100 volunteers were present to check out 77 exhibits and booths, in addition to dining from various food trucks and participating in “do it yourself” demonstrations.

The faire also marks the first day of the new Innovation Stations at the library, which promote design thinking and understanding of human behavior to push young innovators to consider what kinds of products there is a need for.

Event co-chair Bill Derry believes that the faire is such a success because of the size of the crowd and the excitement of the children attending.

“It’s really important for people of all ages to learn about the environment and how things work,” said Derry. “But we’re especially excited to have so many kids here. While the physical location is important, it’s more about the people than the space.”

Attendee Lynn Goldstein believes that the event is so special because it gets younger visitors excited about technology and innovation.

“It’s an incredible community event,” said Goldstein. “It inspires kids to think out of the box.”