Get your Festival of Combustion tickets today!
The long wait is over. After a two-year hatius, the Festival of Combustion is back with more activities, demonstrations, and thrills!
Rivers of Steel’s signature event will return to bring our region’s rich heritage into focus with a spectacle of flame and excitement in the only place hot enough to host it—the Carrie Blast Furnaces.
This one-of-kind extravaganza on October 8 from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m. invites audiences of all ages to celebrate the industrial arts and American crafts through hands-on activities, trade demonstrations, tours, live music, fireworks, and more!
The heart of the festival takes its inspiration from the iron-making legacy of this National Historic Landmark. The metal arts team will be pouring iron throughout the day, and festival-goers can carve their own mold to be cast in front of their eyes! In the evening, sparks will light up the sky during a performance iron pour. The flames do not stop there: fire is integrated to artworks on display, and flame performers will keep crowds captivated throughout the day.
The Festival of Combustion goes beyond the molten iron and flames to showcase the creativity and innovation of our region’s artists, makers, and builders in a variety of ways. The day features glassblowing demonstrations, stations for welding, metal fabrication, and more.
New this year for the Festival of Combustion is the Heritage Craft Tent presented by Knob Creek Bourbon Whiskey. This festival within the festival explores American heritage traditions, including the most tasty of American crafts—whiskey distilling! The team from Knob Creek will be educating participating adults on the varieties of rye whiskey. There will be the opportunity to sample spirits and to enjoy a cocktail. Blacksmithing demonstrations, live Appalachian music, and hands-on experiences with West Overton Village and the David Bradford House round out the experience under the tent!
Also, for the first time ever, visitors to the Festival of Combustion can see the Monongahela River Valley like never before—from far above the Carrie Blast Furnaces in the basket of a hot air balloon! Pending good weather, tethered rides will be offered throughout the day.
Craft beer, food trucks, tattoos, and a maker marketplace with regional artisans will add to the festival atmosphere.
The live music this year features the talents of all-local musicians, a rotating showcase on a single main stage located in the festival grounds, including the Bindley Hardware Company, The Moon My Twin, and World 2.
Make sure to stick around for fireworks at the end of the evening's festivities!
Tickets are just $20 in advance; kids under 18 are free!
