Festival of Combustion set for Saturday at Carrie Blast Furnaces
Sparks will fly and molten metal will flow when Rivers of Steel’s Festival of Combustion returns to Carrie Blast Furnaces Saturday.
Starting at 3 p.m., visitors can explore the National Historic Landmark through an experience that brings together the sights, sounds, skills, and stories of Western Pennsylvania’s industrial past and creative present. At the center of it all is the festival’s signature Iron Pour, when artists transform molds created in the days leading up to the festival into glowing works of cast iron.
The festival has been happening since 2015. Throughout the festival grounds, visitors will encounter demonstrations and activities that illuminate the many ways metal has shaped-and continues to shape-the region. Blacksmiths, welders, coppersmiths, ceramicists, glass artists, and other makers will demonstrate traditional and contemporary processes, offering a closer look at the skills and materials that have long been part of Western Pennsylvania’s industrial and cultural identity.
Guides throughout the site will share the history of Carrie Blast Furnaces and the people who worked there, while visitors can take in views from this post-industrial site and explore the monumental structures that remain.
Heritage crafts, hands-on activities, and a marketplace of local makers will further connect the historic site to the creative communities working in the region today.
And then there is the fire.
As evening falls, the Iron Pour takes center stage, transforming the industrial landscape with the intense heat and glow of molten metal. The spectacle is followed by live music featuring Lady Beast, and the night concludes with fireworks above the furnaces.
For tickets and additional information, visit FestivalOfCombustion.com.