Minefaire makes Sacramento debut
Minefaire: The Ultimate “Minecraft” Experience is coming to Sacramento for the very first time this weekend.
The convention is the brain child of two fathers who realized they needed to bridge the gap between children who love “Minecraft” and their parents, who don’t always fully understand the game and its educational aspects.
“Minecraft was the ‘go-to’ activity for my four kids before dinner, and I realized how much the game was teaching them about topics like agriculture, history, geology and architecture — all without their feeling like they were being ‘taught,’” cofounder Gabe Young said. “Kids at Minefaire get to grab their parents by the hand and say, ‘Look what I’m doing!’ As parents, we then have the chance to better understand our children and guide them.”
“Minecraft” is a virtual game in which you build new worlds, block by block, by mining the resources you find and crafting them into structures that might include staircases, mazes, or any other figment of the imagination.
More than 122 million copies of “Minecraft” have been sold since its release, making it the second most popular standalone video game of all time, after “Tetris.”
Minefaire is the bestknown “Minecraft” event in the U.S. and an official “Minecraft” community event. It just smashed its previous Guinness World Record for largest convention for a single video game with 18,000 tickets sold in Los Angeles in April.
Superfans of the game will have the chance to meet YouTube creators from around the world, compete in a “Minecraft”-inspired costume contest, and attend workshops with “Minecraft” education mentors.
Parents and children are invited to join in build challenges and attend stage shows themed around the popular game.
“Minefaire is an opportunity to connect with your kids through their favorite game and have a blast,” Minefaire co-founder Chad Collins said. “We have created a one-of-a-kind Minecraft experience that introduces like-minded children to one another and inspires the next generation of engineers and architects. We want to ensure our children are building valuable learning skills as they play.”
Children and parents who attend Minefaire will also enjoy hands-on attractions, including the “Minecraft” Virtual Reality Experience, vendors selling exclusive and custom merchandise and learning labs.