If you’re in or around Spruce Pine, NC, this weekend, you should come by the 2011 Fire on the Mountain Blacksmith Festival. This annual event is always fun and informative; there are things happening Friday and Saturday in beautiful downtown Spruce Pine, and an artist’s lecture up here at Penland on Saturday night:

Friday, April 29th
5:00 to 7:00pm – Blacksmith Art Exhibit Reception at the Toe River Arts Council on Upper Street in Spruce Pine (free and open to the public)

Saturday, April 30th
10:00am to 4:00pm – Festival on Lower Street in Spruce Pine – vendors, exhibitors, demonstrations, hands-on activities (free and open to the public)

Demonstrator Schedule:
10:00am – Lucas House
11:30am – Tom Latane
1:00pm – Lynda Metcalfe
2:30pm – Tom Latane

8:15pm – Lecture by artist blacksmith Tom Latane in Northlight Building at Penland School of Crafts (free and open to the public)
Tom will illustrate ways in which smiths (and artists in general) can take something learned in a class or demonstration and use it in other circumstances or develop the technique further.  In this way we inspire each other to keep progressing.

Fire on the Mountain is sponsored by Spruce Pine Main Street, in cooperation with Penland School of Crafts and the Toe River Arts Council. For more information, you can visit http://downtownsprucepine.com/festivals/fire-on-the-mountain.

Highly recommended, folks!