The Short Version
What's all this CodeMashing about?
CodeMash is a volunteer-run, community-driven nonprofit that brings the tech community together at a laid-back indoor waterpark resort to learn, share, and connect. No stiff suits. No vendor sales pitches. Just world-class content, hands-on workshops, and the kind of hallway conversations you remember for years.
What started in 2007 with a few hundred attendees has grown into one of the most beloved tech events in the country — and it's still run entirely by the community, for the community. Developers, designers, testers, product folks, and the fast-growing wave of low-code and AI builders all share the same halls.
And because we're a volunteer-run nonprofit, CodeMash stays refreshingly affordable - we don't think world-class technical education should be a luxury.
It started with code. It didn't stop there.
CodeMash began as a place to talk languages and frameworks, and it still is. But 19 years in, the schedule has grown into something bigger. Alongside deep technical sessions, you'll find talks on design, career growth, and leadership, plus a fast-growing track of AI and machine learning. No matter your corner of tech - or whether you write code at all - there's a room for it.
YOU'RE IN GOOD COMPANY - PAST SPEAKERS INCLUDE
It started with code. It didn't stop there.
Go deep: the Precompiler
Before the main conference even starts, the Precompiler runs two days of long-form, multi-hour workshops - the opposite of a quick 45-minute session. Pick one topic and go all in. Recent Precompilers have ranged from building your own AI sidekick and going deep on LLMs, to solutions-architecture design katas, modern web apps, accessibility, and even professional-growth workshops. Some run a half-day; some fill the whole day.
Get hands-on: the Makerspace
The Makerspace is CodeMash's hands-on hardware corner, and it's exactly as fun as it sounds. It's an open, drop-in space where you can pick up a soldering iron, build a blinky badge, watch a 3D printer do its thing, or wire up a microcontroller just to see what happens. People have built light-up gadgets, tiny robots, and all sorts of custom electronics here. With mentors around and parts on the table, no experience is required - just bring your curiosity.
Bring the whole crew: KidzMash
CodeMash is family-friendly in the most literal sense. KidzMash is a free, all-ages track that runs the full event with its own sessions, activities, and full-time staff, so the kids get their own hands-on adventure while you're in yours. And since everyone's already at an indoor waterpark, it's the easiest "bring the family" any tech conference has ever offered.
19+
YEARS RUNNING
20,000+
ATTENDEES
2,000+
SESSIONS
100%
VOLUNTEER-RUN
Two Events, One Community
CodeMash Great Lakes
📅 January 12–15, 2027
📍 Kalahari Resort • Sandusky, Ohio
4 days of sessions, workshops, and community at Ohio's largest indoor waterpark resort.
CodeMash East
📅 June 17–18, 2027
📍 Kalahari Resort • Spotsylvania, Virginia
The CodeMash experience comes to the East Coast - 2 days of learning, connection, and community.
This was, without exaggeration, the best four days of my life.
- James, definitely-not-exaggerating past attendee