Wilton Library hosts Innovation Day on October 21

Wilton Library makes everyone’s day during Innovation Day Oct. 21

Wilton Library is opening its vast spaces to makers, do-it-yourselfers, and those who are just naturally curious about things when the third annual Innovation Day takes place on Saturday, Oct. 21, from 1 to 5 p.m.  The entire first floor of the library will be turned into a giant discovery zone where people can touch, tinker and talk at close to 40 stations with varied interests for everyone. 

Susan Lauricella, Maker Space Manager for the library, said of Innovation Day, “This is such a great day for people to come out and just test drive all the things they’ve been hearing or reading about – from 3-D printing to virtual reality where you feel as if you can actually touch something in a room – this is the place to try all that out.”

New this year that are promising to be crowd favorites are: taking a Hovercraft out for a spin; experiencing virtual reality as virtual artists with HTC Vive and Google Tilt Brush providing a real-life interactive feel; hamming it up in front of a green screen just like Hollywood pros; getting creative with jewelry making, button making, decorating emoji cookies, crafting gift tags and cards, making tile coasters, relaxing with Zentangles, getting decorated with Henna and spray tattoos, and so much more.  

A twist on a returning favorite is experiencing a wine tasting provided by one of Wilton’s wine connoisseurs; plus coloring tables, the ancient art of Quilling, and Popsicle catapults. One of the biggest draws reprised from last year is the Take Apart table, where people can tinker to their hearts content, even disassemble remote controls without getting yelled at. For people who are a bit stymied by all this newfangled technology, they are invited to bring their own devices and receive tech help from a savvy group of high schoolers.

Elaine Tai-Lauria, executive director of Wilton Library remarked, “We opened our Innovation Station just three years ago and in that short amount of time, we have introduced the community to a whole host of new technologies as well as fun and exciting things to try.  At any time of the day you can find people creating 3-D images from which to print, embroidering gifts for the holidays, transferring precious wedding videos to DVDs and old-school slides to digital images – there is always something going on.  Innovation Day is an extension of that concept of bringing new ideas to our customers and letting them experience things for themselves.”

The library’s award-winning robotics team, Singularity Technology, also will be on-hand with their robot, along with dogs from Ridgefield Operation Animal Rescue (ROAR), the Greater Norwalk Amateur Radio Club, members of community organizations that created the Pollinator Pathway, and a Garden Club member making floral arrangements.

Lauricella added, “Whether you drop in for an hour or stay for the afternoon, we have something for everyone including a drawing for a Kindle Fire.  And should guests become famished during the festivities, two food trucks will be parked right in the library’s front lot to help recharge bodies so that people can go right back in without missing a thing.”

Admission is free to this fun wonderland for all ages with certain activities having a nominal fee to help offset costs. Wilton Library is located at 137 Old Ridgefield Road in the heart of Wilton Center.  For information and directions, visit www.wiltonlibrary.org or call 203-762-6334. GOOD Morning Wilton is the media sponsor of Innovation Day.

*Image shows Monica Delardi and Tom Abend taking apart a remote control device at Innovation Day last year.