Waste Wise Lane County—part of the Lane County Waste Management Division—is coordinating with Connected Lane County to organize a Springfield Fix-It Fair on Saturday, November 9.
The free public event will run from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Connected Lane County's Spark at Booth Kelly facility (303 S 5th St. STE 150, Springfield).
Fix-It Fairs promote reuse and repair by offering attendees opportunities to have household items repaired by fixer coaches. Attendees can watch and learn repair skills, discover local repair resources, and extend the life of household items—keeping more stuff out of the trash and saving money.
The Springfield event will focus on repairing household items, electronics, power tools, textiles, bikes, and skateboards. Repairs take an average of 30 minutes, and attendees can only bring items that can be reasonably carried in.
Connected Lane County Associate Director Justin Thibedeau said the Spark facility will be an ideal location for the fair.
“Since opening the first Spark facility in 2021, Connected Lane County has been a place for youth ages 14-24 to explore creation and innovation using technology,” said Thibedeau. “We are happy to utilize Spark's tools and equipment by opening the space to a community Fix-It-Fair, bringing people together to explore the space, have a good time, and repair household items to keep them out of landfills.”
Thibedeau said several young people enrolled in Connected Lane County programming will also be involved in the event.
“As a youth innovation center, Connected Lane County provides youth with opportunities to gain new technical and professional skills,” Thibedeau said. “Learning to fix, tinker, and troubleshoot are crucial skills for innovation, and Fix-It Fairs allow youth to learn from professional fixers in the community. This apprenticeship model provides insight not only into technical skills but also the entrepreneurship of running a business in a safe-to-fail environment. Youth apprentices are paid for their time, and some have landed jobs with the fixers.”
Springfield will host a Fix-It-Fair for the second time in two years. Lane County Waste Reduction Outreach Coordinator Daniel Hiestand said this fair will have more of a “party” atmosphere.
“Attendees will be treated to music by Corwin Bolt & The Wingnuts, and food will be available for sale from Red Five Hot Dog Company,” said Hiestand. “With these additions, we hope to add more fun into an already entertaining event.”
About Waste Wise Lane County
WasteWise Lane County offers education, tools, and resources that residents, schools, and businesses can use to reduce waste, conserve resources, and live more sustainably. Learn more about repair resources at fixitlanecounty.com
About Connected Lane County
Connected Lane County was established in 2014 as Lane County’s regional achievement collaborative by early childhood partners, local school districts, institutions of higher education, the local workforce board, and industry innovators. Today, it’s an independent nonprofit serving over 3,000 youth each year. Its Spark program aims to provide youth with a safe place to learn, innovate, collaborate, and create through out-of-school training opportunities. Spark helps youth grow skills, become confident problem-solvers, and gain hands-on experiences.