The 2024 Festival of Combustion at the Carrie Blast Furnaces
Rivers of Steel’s signature event celebrates industrial arts and American crafts
Homestead, PA (September 4, 2024)—Rivers of Steel’s signature event, the Festival of Combustion, presented by United States Steel, returns to the Carrie Blast Furnaces on October 5, from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m. with new activities, performances, and collaborators.
This one-of-a-kind extravaganza attracts thousands of visitors of all ages who join in this celebration of industrial arts and American crafts through hands-on activities, trade demonstrations, tours, live music, fireworks, and more!
The spirit of the festival takes its inspiration from the iron-making legacy of this National Historic Landmark—embodied by a deftly orchestrated iron pour featuring Rivers of Steel’s metal arts crew working with visiting artists from across the country, who cast artworks molded in the days preceding the event. A secondary aluminum pour casts scratch molds carved by festival participants!
Additional demonstrations include glassblowing with the Pittsburgh Glass Center, welding with Patrick Camut Fabrication, blacksmithing with Rivers of Steel, power hammer forging with the Center for Metal Arts, and a performative wood-fired ceramic reveal at twilight with Talon Smith.
“The Festival of Combustion has grown so much over the years, and we are particularly excited to welcome more than 50 collaborators in 2024,” said Chris McGinnis, senior director of programs & regional partnerships for Rivers of Steel. “So much of what makes this event special comes from the many friends and partners who bring their unique and creative work to Carrie Blast Furnaces each year. We are thrilled to have the LIGHT Educational Initiative back during the workshop period and welcome newcomers like Manchester Craftsmen Guild into our Festival of Combustion community. Center for Metal Arts will be joining us for the first time all the way from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and I can’t think of a better partner in the metal arts to help showcase the power of industrial arts!”
Beyond the metal pours and demonstrations, there are even more performances to see. On the music stage, Ames Harding and the Mirage, Tom Breiding and Union Railroad, and The Polkamaniacs will keep festival-goers entertained. Pop-up performances by Lovely Lady Lydia Artistry offer up flame performances and circus arts throughout the evening.
While there is plenty to see at the Festival of Combustion, there is even more to do!
Now in its third year, the Heritage Craft Tent is presented by West Overton Village, who will offer educational rye whiskey tastings for adults and interactive activities for kids! Touchstone Center for Crafts, the Bradford House Historical Association, the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, and the Society for the Preservation of the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka will be joining West Overton in offering hands-on cultural heritage engagements.
For those really looking to get crafty, there are a half dozen more activities, including mosaics with The Ruins Project, jewelry-making with the Pittsburgh Center for Arts & Media, raku-fired ceramics with Ton Pottery, STEAM crafts with Assemble PGH, a “Punk Rock Corner” with LIGHT Education Initiative, and Guild on the Go with Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild. MCG and LIGHT are new to the festival this year!
To accommodate more tour-goers than in prior years, Rivers of Steel is offering self-paced tours of the landmark furnaces with tour guides stationed throughout, paired with an “Ask a Tour Guide” information tent near the hub of the activities. This year Rivers of Steel is also celebrating the tenth anniversary of Casting the Iron Garden—an event that created iron plaques describing the flora of the nature-reclaimed space on the eastern edge of the grounds. Originally developed in 2014 by artists Addy Smith-Reiman and Josh Reiman, the project was completed with the help of the Penn State Master Gardeners who will attend the Festival to help share the story of this exciting project!
For the adventurous in the crowd, Xpogo will provide instruction and free-to-use pogo sticks for all skill levels and ages, and KSD Studios are offering affordable tattoos.
Craft beer and cocktails, food trucks, and a maker marketplace with more than a dozen regional artisans will add to the festival atmosphere. To cap off the night, Rivers of Steel will light up the Mon Valley with a fireworks display above the Carrie Blast Furnaces.
To keep the event affordable for families, tickets for adults are only $20.00 in advance, and admission is free for those under age 18. Live demos, performances, marketplace admission, and workshop activities are all included in the event price. Free parking is available on the grounds. Food and drinks are available for purchase.
The Festival of Combustion is presented by United States Steel. Additional sponsorship has been provided by West Overton Village and Jackson Welding Supply Co., Inc., with media sponsorship from NEXTpittsburgh. Stop by to visit our sponsors at their information tents!
Tickets can be purchased at here.
About Rivers of Steel
Founded on the principles of heritage development, community partnership, and a reverence for the region’s natural and shared resources, Rivers of Steel strengthens the economic and cultural fabric of western Pennsylvania by fostering dynamic initiatives and transformative experiences.
Rivers of Steel showcases the artistry and innovation of our region’s industrial and cultural heritage through its historical and 21st-century attractions―offering unique experiences via tours, workshops, exhibitions, festivals, and more. Behind the scenes, Rivers of Steel supports economic revitalization—working at the grassroots level to deepen community partnerships, promote heritage tourism, and preserve local recreational and cultural resources for future generations.
Contact Carly McCoy at 412.464.4020, ext. 243, or by emailing cmccoy@riversofsteel.com.
Rivers of Steel | The Bost Building, 623 East Eighth Ave, Homestead PA 15120
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