Holy moly - our first Repair Fair on August 17th was SO much fun! Give the photos a scroll to see for yourself.
A ton of y'all showed up with your clothes, bicycles, appliances, jewelry, furniture and more. Many thanks to all of you who gave your beloved stuff a second life, and many thanks to our super handy volunteer fixers who kept that beloved stuff out of the landfill. Best of all, we served out the EXACT amount of hot dawgs we bought!
Impact
51 attendees brought their beloved but broken items.
20 fixer and support volunteers generously shared their time and skills.
About 60 items were fixed and given a second life
80 hot dawgs bought, 80 hot dawgs served
Some of the Fixes
A dining room chair from the 1960's
The pom on a winter hat
A guitar tuner
Many, many bike tires
A dress that needed to be altered
An oscillating tower fan
A (crushed) silver ring
Cloth diapers
A tent bag zipper
STORIES WE HEARD
“My bike needed a tube patched and a tire replaced. Cycling is one of my favorite ways to get around... This event helped me get back on my wheels for the first time in a while, and it feels great. Thank you!”
“My toaster was fixed and now I don't have burnt toast everyday! Libi was amazing and it feels great to know that I saved an item from the landfill.”
“My lampshade frame got soldered back together. I dropped it like 3 years ago... Really excited that it’s fixed and learned some new things about soldering as I watched it get repaired!”
“Tina helped me get started on replacing the liner of a leather bag that I was too scared to get moving on. Drew helped me discover how busted my lamp innards were and Liv taught me I need a lamp repair kit! It means the world that we’re practicing the art of repair together in a disposability-culture-infested world.”
More Than Just Fixin’ Things
These events are about more than simply fixing stuff - they aim to challenge consumer throwaway culture and encourage resourcefulness and reuse. They help share practical skills and build confidence so our neighbors can take on their own projects. We hope that Repair Fairs show that a community can come together to fix, build, and create the things they need.
What's Next? Get Involved!
Weren’t able to make our first event? Still have some broken stuff you don’t want to part with? Want to volunteer to help people fix and build things?
Keep an eye on our weekly newsletter and social media for the next Repair Fair date
Become a volunteer at the DTL - there are lots of ways to help, including repair fairs
Fix your own stuff via a super affordable Tool Library Membership, Classes, and Open Workshop Hours
Thanks so much all - we’re stoked to see you at the next one!
