Summary
Experience Rivers of Steel’s Festival of Combustion 2025 at the Carrie Blast Furnaces on October 4—featuring Pittsburgh’s most dramatic iron pour, hands-on workshops, live music, heritage crafts, food, fireworks, and more.
Rivers of Steel’s signature event returns October 4 with Pittsburgh’s most dramatic iron pour, hands-on workshops, live music, heritage crafts, food, fireworks, and more.
Homestead, PA (September 16, 2025) — Sparks will fly and molten iron will flow at Rivers of Steel’s Festival of Combustion 2025, presented by United States Steel, on Saturday, October 4 from 3:00 to 9:00 p.m. This annual celebration of industrial arts, southwestern Pennsylvania’s heritage, and American craft returns to the National Historic Landmark Carrie Blast Furnaces for a day packed with fiery spectacle, live demonstrations, hands-on activities, music, food, and fireworks.
“The Festival of Combustion is a day packed with experiences that blend Pittsburgh’s industrial legacy with today’s creative energy,” said Chris McGinnis, Vice President of Programs and Development at Rivers of Steel. “There’s no better place than Carrie to create this spectacle of molten iron, fire, music, and artistry. It’s a reminder of the power this site has to inspire awe across generations.”
At the heart of the festival is the dramatic iron pour—a rare chance to see molten metal streamed from a furnace into molds. Throughout the day, Rivers of Steel’s metal arts team will cast both aluminum and iron, with opportunities for visitors to carve their own molds and take part in the process. As dusk falls, the furnaces come alive in a glowing evening iron pour performance that transforms the historic site into a breathtaking fusion of light, fire, and sound.
Beyond the iron, the festival showcases the creativity of artists, makers, and craftspeople from across the region. Highlights include:
- Industrial arts demonstrations: hot riveting, power hammer forging, blacksmithing, glassblowing, welding, and more.
- Hands-on workshops: Forget-Me-Not mosaics with The Ruins Project, raku ceramics with Ton Pottery, “Space Metal” aluminum scratch molds with Rivers of Steel, penny pendants with Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media, cyanotypes with MCG Youth, graffiti art, and kids’ activities.
- The Heritage Craft Tent: whiskey tastings, blacksmith demos, and cultural heritage organizations including the Touchstone Center for Craft, Bradford House Historical Association, West Overton, the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, and Vanka Murals.
- Live performances: The Polkamaniacs, Erika June and the Tunes, DJ Zombo’s Record Party, flame performers, graffiti artists, tattoo artists, and aerial stunts by Xpogo.
- Food & Drink: craft beer from Oskar Blues, Straub, and Cigar City; plus a wide array of Pittsburgh’s favorite food trucks.
- Fireworks finale: B&D Fireworks caps the night with a one-of-a-kind display above the Carrie Furnaces.
“This will be my first Festival of Combustion with Rivers of Steel, and I’m looking forward to experiencing this event alongside our community,” said Mary Murrin, Rivers of Steel’s President and CEO. “The energy, artistry, history, and innovation here embody the best of our region and highlight why preserving and investing in the future of the Carrie Blast Furnaces is so important.”
Tickets are $25 in advance and free for ages under 18. Admission includes all workshops, demonstrations, and access to the artisan marketplace. Advance reservations are recommended for Mini Carrie Blast Furnace Tours, which offer unique insights into the site’s history and significance. Parking is free on-site.
The Festival of Combustion 2025 is presented by United States Steel. Additional sponsorship is provided by Peoples Natural Gas, NEXTpittsburgh, Butler Gas Products, Chiz Bros, Jackson Welding Supply, and UPMC Health Plan.
For tickets, schedules, and more information, visit FestivalOfCombustion.com.
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About Rivers of Steel
Since it was established as a National Heritage Area more than 35 years ago, Rivers of Steel has contributed to the revitalization of Pittsburgh by championing the region’s steel heritage, natural and shared resources, and culture of innovation and hard work. Founded on the principles of heritage development and community partnership, Rivers of Steel supports economic revitalization through tourism, education, workforce development in traditional trades, metal arts, and outdoor experiences in former iron, steel, and coal communities in the Monongahela River Valley and across eight counties in western Pennsylvania.
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