April 27, 2024
Celebrate the art of the blacksmith! It's fascinating to watch them craft sculpture, jewelry, furniture, and amazing art creations. The festival lines the Locust Street in downtown Spruce Pine (locals call it Lower Street), about 50 miles north of Asheville. It includes demonstrations, arts and crafts to buy, food, and more. Hours are 10 AM-4 PM, and it's free to attend. This area is home to the highly respected Penland School of Craft with many world-class artists, so find a big variety of art in the area.
Watch featured blacksmiths from across the country, along with the best western North Carolina metalsmiths, toolmakers, sculptors and ironworkers. See the annual Blacksmith Show at the Toe River Arts Gallery (269 Oak Ave) featuring artists from the Southeast, 10:30 AM-5 PM Saturday. If you are in town Friday evening, stop by for the opening reception and talk.
The main festival area lines Locust Street with multiple demonstration areas. The "close-up" demos focus on the fine handwork and bench techniques that blacksmiths use to create surface decoration, mechanisms and finishing details.
Many booths feature artists at work. If you are an aspiring blacksmith, find a big variety of tools too. At the Iron Pour up on Oak Street, learn about the foundry process. As with most crowded festivals, it's not recommended for pets.
At the Youth Forge-On Challenge Demonstration and Adult Forge-Off Competition, participants are provided with iron stock, minimal tools, and 55 minutes to complete their best work. At the Hands-On Tent, take your turn learning to forge.
In addition to food vendors, find a variety of local restaurants downtown - along with shops to explore. Walk the scenic footbridge high across the Toe River to Riverside Park. Try your luck with gem mining. Just six miles away is the Penland School of Crafts campus, with a world-class gallery tucked away deep in the mountains. Read more about Spruce Pine and nearby Little Switzerland.
Directions: For GPS, use 165 Locust St, Spruce Pine.
Spruce Pine Things to Do
Spruce Pine Gem Mining District
Find gems in what is touted as the “most important mining district in the world”. Find fun options for gem panning, rock hounding and mine tours. Also home to the NC Mineral & Gem Festival.… read more
Find gems in what is touted as the “most important mining district in the world”. Find fun options for gem panning, rock hounding and mine tours. Also home to the NC Mineral & Gem Festival. See their "Mining For Treasure" guide.
Penland School of Craft
Take a tour or sign up for a class at this internationally-known school for art and craft, tucked away in the mountains near Spruce Pine. Their multiple galleries are free to visit with amazing… read more
Take a tour or sign up for a class at this internationally-known school for art and craft, tucked away in the mountains near Spruce Pine. Their multiple galleries are free to visit with amazing works created by students and teachers.
Spruce Pine
This small town offers not one but two main streets, Upper Street (Oak Avenue) and Lower Street (Locust Avenue). A must-stop is the Toe River Arts Council Gallery. Visit for many festivals and gem… read more
This small town offers not one but two main streets, Upper Street (Oak Avenue) and Lower Street (Locust Avenue). A must-stop is the Toe River Arts Council Gallery. Visit for many festivals and gem mining.
