Posted on April 6, 2022 by Heather Adams

GoggleWorks Iron Pour Expands as Blacksmithing “Forge Fest”

by Goggleworks Center for the Arts

GoggleWorks Iron Pour Expands as Blacksmithing “Forge Fest”

GoggleWorks Center for the Arts (GoggleWorks) is hailing the return of its renowned community event on Saturday, April 30, 2022, by expanding its celebration of all things molten metal. The Iron Pour, a beloved annual event created in partnership with Albright College, went on hiatus during the pandemic. Held annually for residents, artists, and visitors, up to 1,000 people typically witness the signature event, the iron pour itself, which will take place at dusk and showcase the sparks, pouring, tapping, and shaping of superheated metal. Joining forces with the Pennsylvania Artists Blacksmith Association (PABA), the event will expand as a family-friendly “Forge Fest,” with blacksmith demonstrations, art activities, live music, food, and craft drinks throughout the day in downtown Reading.

Spring Iron Pour and Forge Festival
GoggleWorks – 201 Washington St., Reading, PA 19601
Saturday, April 30th (rain date May 7th)
Forge Fest begins at 2pm 
Iron Pour begins at 7pm 
Free admission and parking on-site

“We are excited about the return of the Iron Pour event, and thrilled to expand it into a day full of festivities with the blacksmith Forge Fest presented by PABA,” said Tim Compton, Artistic Director of GoggleWorks. “The shock-and-awe of pouring metal at 3000 degrees is hard to describe, and the brute force needed to smith metal while it is red hot is truly a sight to see. When you combine that with the music and food we have planned, it makes for a great day of exciting inspiration.”

The event is admission-free thanks to additional support for the nonprofit art center from the Windgate Foundation, Dundore & Heister, Lindenwold Advisors, and the City of Reading. This year, the celebration will feature an on-site pit with fire-roasted food from local butcher Dundore and Heister, hands-on activities for kids, live performances on the Pollen Consolidated stage, and a cash bar. The multi-week iron pour class is sold out, but the first fifty, curious participants will have the opportunity to purchase and prepare their own mold to be cast in molten iron.

Visit https://goggleworks.org/event/spring-iron-pour-forge-fest/ to learn more.

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