When I was e-mailing back and forth with Lisa Pongrace, who with her partner Greg Solberg is responsible for a small fleet of electric art cars resembling cupcakes that have become famous in Burning Man circles for zipping around the playa and making people happy, she signed off, "I look forward to meeting you at the Faire. I'll be the one in the blueberry muffin." What more can I say? I am looking forward to meeting Lisa, too, and being enveloped by her fleet of fast-moving baked goods. Below, some thoughts on how to do Maker Faire by the Berkeley-based artist and muffin car impresario. So, what's your name? My name is Lisa Pongrace. What do you do? Is that a trick question? Of late most of my professional work is decorating: interiors, exteriors, and gardens. In particular I do a lot of staging of gardens and outdoor spaces for people trying to sell their homes. Also, I'm a recovering graphic designer, but that was a long time ago in a land far, far away. Is this your first Maker Faire? Nope. We missed the first one, but since then the muffins and I have attended every Maker Faire. I sure hope that repeat guests aren't getting tired of us, and I swear that I'm trying to think up a whole new mobile contraption/thingamadoop for next time. How would you describe the event to someone unfamiliar? The Maker Faire is an uncommonly delightful gathering of creative types: inventors, nerds, craftspeople, artisans, goofballs and geniuses. And admirers or wannabes (not that there's anything wrong with that) of all of the above. One impressive thing the organizers have accomplished is that there isn't just a little something for everyone; There's a LOT of something for everyone. At least anyone who enjoys or appreciates ingenuity, creativeness, and playfulness. Actually, even if you don't particularly appreciate any of that, there are usually goats. I've no idea what else one could want. Well, except for tiny, fluffy ducklings. What are you most looking forward to seeing at the Faire? Honestly, I look most forward to discovering something I don't know. I guess I look for the thing that will awaken or energize my creativity, and it might be something I've already seen but didn't look at hard enough, or think about long enough. For nostalgic value, though, I'd be disappointed if I didn't see the duckmouse. Little, simple and slightly twisted, with a generous dose of whimsy It was a taxidermied mouse body with the feet of a duck. I still smile when I think about it. Then there's the 3D printer that prints with sugar: Even after you're done smiling, think of the potential: ("It's a tractor gear. No, it's a donut. NO! You're both right!") Is there anything not at the Faire that you wish were there? A time machine. Any advice for how visitors can get the most out of the weekend? Plan to spend as much time there as you can afford, because there's just so much to see and do, and read the schedule of events first thing so you don't miss something you'd love. I have a bad habit of reading schedules on the drive home from events, and whining about how I missed so much cool stuff. Also, it couldn't hurt to bring a clone of yourself so you can pack in twice as many activities. Aside from the fairgrounds themselves, is there anything that you’d recommend out-of-town visitors to do or see? I don't actually know the immediate area well enough, but here's some advice: Go out to dinner afterward and, while the day is still fresh in your mind, share your experiences with whoever you went with. Or convince someone who wasn't there to go next year. Muffin car photo by Ric e Ette, from Flickr

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