Nova Labs

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, the Nova Labs Capital Campaign has officially closed at $114,851, surpassing our $100,000 goal and unlocking an additional $15,000 matching grant. Together, we are making important improvements to our shared makerspace and investing in Nova Labs' future.

Four or so years ago when my father passed away, Christopher Sexton, woodshop steward and maker of fine dovetailed boxes (I think he’s made upwards of 60 of them), invited me to do some woodworking. He suggested it might be a good way to process things. Something inside me said "Great idea! I want to build an electric guitar!" Always with a gentle voice, he suggested maybe we start with a few other things first. Maybe learn a few things. Ok, Ok. So, with his help: I made a guitar stand Then a...

Can you believe this past December marks three years since we moved to Fairfax? Way back when our main focus was just keeping the power on and passing fire marshal inspections. We've come such a long way since then, from clearing space and building walls, to developing some awesome programs and building strong relationships with the broader community. Check out Nova Lab's first ever Annual Report below to learn what we've been doing and where we're focusing on going next, or click here to...

Working with National Bell Festival to support the Solidarity Bell.

When Nova Labs was looking for a new home on a tight deadline, we searched far and wide, trying to find something we could afford, continue to grow in, and in a location that wasn't so far out that it would disrupt our established community of members. When we found this building, we knew it would take a lot of work, but it checked all the boxes. We loved the opportunity to add a makerspace to the middle of Fairfax, right off 66, and close to George Mason and Northern Virginia Community...

If you don’t have plans for July 4th, you do now! Come see Nova Labs in the Independence Day Parade in downtown Fairfax! We’re bringing the award-winning Kinetic Sculpture with fresh decorations, just for the fourth, and we’ve made another round of awesome cupcakes… but not the kind you eat. Nova Labs has been perfecting its cupcake game since 2017, when the Go-Cart Cupcakes first appeared in a holiday parade. Before that, they were designed around little red tricycles. Every year the design...

Juneteenth is a time for family, friends, and community to celebrate freedom. Here at Nova Labs, we bring people together to celebrate over a community cookout with fun activities and great food. It has become one of our biggest events of the year. This was the fourth annual Juneteenth celebration Nova Labs has hosted, and every year we’ve needed to add longer tables and more chairs than the year before to accommodate increasing awareness and interest in the holiday. Over 80 people...