Arduino Day 2020 is fast approaching!  And this year promises to be the biggest celebration yet, as it marks 15 years of the open-source hardware and software platform.  Join in on Saturday, March 21st as hundreds of local, community-organized events take place all over the world!

What is Arduino?

Arduino was among the first Open Source Hardware projects, introducing their first microboard in 2005 to help students with no previous programming or electronics experience to learn how “to create working prototypes connecting the physical world to the digital world.”  

By providing powerful, compact boards that can be connected to a variety of sensors and other devices, it has since become a versatile tool for education, prototyping, and other functions.  Now Arduino has become an ecosystem of development boards and open-source software libraries used by a broad range of computing enthusiasts.  Today it has become especially popular for IoT development.

Who can participate?

Everyone!  

In their official announcement for Arduino Day 2020, the Arduino team invited the whole community to join, saying, “Participation is open to anyone...from makers and students to professional developers and educators.”  

The annual Arduino Day festivities have come to include events encompassing a wide range of audiences and skill sets.  So, whether you’re a long-time professional or hobbyist, or a total newbie, you can always learn and make something new with Arduino...and what better day than one when thousands of other Arduino enthusiasts will be joining in too?

When and where can I participate? 

Whenever and wherever an event has been organised near you!  

They’re being held in makerspaces, libraries, electronics centers and other venues around the globe, at different times in different places throughout the day on March 21st.  

Currently there are over 400 officially approved events scheduled in almost 100 countries, with some only lasting for an hour or two, and others going all day...check out the official Arduino Day page for more information.  

And of course, if there are no official events near you, you can always organize your own unofficial gathering and do an Arduino project with your friends!

How can I participate?

Events run the gamut from demos to hands-on workshops to full-day programs, complete with speakers, exhibits, and classes.  

You can participate in a hands-on workshop in Boulder, Colorado, see project exhibitions in the Boston area, or a full-day event at Idea Fab Labs north of Silicon Valley.  You can see a full lineup of presenters in Argentina, network, workshop, and show-and-tell in South Africa, and build your own robot in Melbourne.  

And there are plenty of other events from Malaysia to Madagascar, from the United Kingdom to the United Arab Emirates, from the Netherlands to New Delhi.  

Or if there isn’t an event near you, take the opportunity to make something on your own and participate online!

Why should I participate?

To learn more about Arduino, to meet others interested in the platform, to share experiences and participate in the community.  To have fun and make something!

To get started, or to do even more, check out the Vilros website for all things Arduino.  

Our store has all the boards, kits and accessories you need.  And be sure to stop back by our blog for more ideas to get you started and all the latest Arduino and Raspberry Pi news!