Anniversary Celebration and Blacksmithing Conference

About the Event

Join Us for Our 50th Anniversary Celebration & Conference.

Schedule of Events

7 a.m. - 7 p.m.: Food Vendors
Lizzie's Wagon will be serving breakfast items, steak sandwiches, chicken strips, and fresh-cut fries.

9am - noon & 2pm - 5pm: Kid's "Forging" Tent
The Forging Industry Educational and Research Foundation will be in Central Park showing kids how hot metal moves with each hammer blow via a clay "forging" activity. The first 100 kids to participate will receive a goody bag.

International Team Forging Competition

Teams compete from 8am - noon & 1pm - 5pm

Come hang out in Central Park and watch the Team Forging Competition! Watch as amateur and professional blacksmiths vie for bragging rights and cash prizes. All items forged during the competition will be available for purchase in the Art Auction on Saturday, June 8th.

Also cast your vote for the People's Choice Award while the pieces are on display June 8th!

The Ring Project Assembly

Blacksmiths from all over the world have been busy making a 10-inch forged ring that represents the Johnstown area. We will gather those individual rings in Central Park for the public to view. During our multi-day event, around 10-12 rings will be selected to be assembled into a larger, collaborative project. The final Ring Project will be available at the auction for a private buyer or company to acquire. Individual rings not selected will also be available at the Art Auction on Saturday, June 8th.

Noon to 5 p.m.: Brass Foundry Demo

Demonstrator Bob Pickens will demonstrate casting with brass. Bob will cast a miniature anvil which will be available to bid on in the Art Auction on Saturday night. Chris Holt will narrate and answer questions for spectators.

6 - 9 p.m.: Live Music with Silver Screen

Silver Screen, voted Favorite Local Band at the 2023 "Best of Johnstown" Awards, will play at Central Park as part of First Friday hosted by the Discover Downtown Johnstown Partnership.

Additional Activities Near Central Park

Gallery of Ironwork Exhibition at Made in Johnstown, 507 Main Street
1 p.m. - 9 p.m. with Artist Reception at 7 - 9 p.m.
You'll be able to see tools of the trade, examples of traditional blacksmithing, sculptural work, furniture, plus individual and collaborative designs. It is amazing what heat and a hammer can do!

Lecture & Class at State Theater of Johnstown, 336 Main Street, Johnstown, PA

2 p.m.: Jerry Coe will teach "The Business of Blacksmithing" to smiths intending to start or expand a business.

6 p.m.: Metalsmith, writer, and historian Gabriel Craig will narrate his exploits in rediscovering Detroit's historic architecture and ironwork, with particular attention to his exhaustive search to find all of Samuel Yellin's works scattered across the city. A not-to-be-missed event for lovers of art, history, and architecture.

Craft Classes at CraftWork Studios, 134 Gazebo Park, Suite B, Johnstown, PA
1 p.m.: Japanese Knot Bag
Class registration fees apply and are very reasonable.

Peoples Natural Gas Park
Activities in Peoples Natural Park Require an Event Ticket
All tickets are will-call and can be picked up at the registration tent outside Peoples Natural Gas Park.
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Forging Demonstrations
World-class blacksmiths will be showcasing their talents in a variety of demonstrations focused on artistic blacksmithing, traditional forging, bladesmithing, as well as using a hydraulic press, an induction forge, and toolmaking on a powerhammer.

Blacksmith Education
Feeling the call of the fire? We've got an entire tent just for beginners to try their hand at forging hot metal. For those who have hammered a little bit of steel, you'll want to visit the Education Tents with hands-on activities and demonstrations focused on all levels of the National Blacksmith Curriculum with an amazing team of blacksmith educators.

Tour of the Center for Metal Arts at 106 Iron Street, Johnstown, PA
Event registrants are invited for a tour of the Center for Metal Arts. Patrick Quinn will speak briefly about the history of CMA and then attendees will have a full shop tour that includes the historic industrial forge shop.
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