2026 Workshops
Workshops are led by expert craftspeople and designed for specific skill levels. They range in length from 1 to 6 hours.
Please read descriptions carefully before signing up, and feel free to reach out with any questions.
A day or weekend ticket purchase is required to attend any workshop.
Workshop fee structure
Adult Workshops: $70-$140
- Duration: 3 or 6-hours
- Spoon and bowl carving
- Chip carving
- Shrink Pots
- Stools
- Basketry
Kids / Youth / Beginner: $30-$70
- Duration: 1 – 2 hours
- Ages 6-8 with an adult, or youth 9 and up
- Butter knife carving
- Tea spoon carving
- Tree branch hooks
- Tree identification adventure walk
Friday, October 9
Workshops on Friday, October 9 are from 1PM – 4PM, unless otherwise noted.
Chip Carving Basics
Instructor: Daniel Clay
In this introductory class to chip carving students will learn the basics of the Swiss chip carving technique including standard knife grips, body mechanics and safety, carving basic chip shapes, and knife geometry and sharpening concepts. Swiss chip carving knives will be provided for use during the class. No prior experience is necessary. All students will be provided with practice boards and one beginning project.
Introduction to Greenwood Spoon Carving
Instructor: Aaron Sparks
Carve your own cooking spoon from start to finish. In this hands-on course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of spoon carving while creating a functional spoon you can use in your own kitchen. We’ll cover how to choose the right wood, read grain direction, lay out your design, and use an axe, sloyd knife, and hook knife safely and effectively. You’ll also learn simple finishing techniques to make your spoon durable, comfortable, and ready for everyday use. Bring your own sloyd knife, hook knife, and carving axe, or borrow tools from the festival.
Quick & Dirty Shrink Pots
Instructor: Don Nalezyty & Damien Ossi
During this workshop you’ll use greenwood skills to create a shrink pot to take home. A shrink pot is a wooden container made from a section of a “green” (freshly cut and wet) tree branch or small log. It utilizes the natural drying and shrinking properties of wood to create a tight, mechanical seal without the need for glue or fasteners. These traditional pots have been carved across Scandinavia and eastern Europe for centuries and used to store dry goods (flour, coffee, tea, spices), spoons, pencils, or any other dry item. With special care and the addition of some hard wax or pitch you can even make a tankard for cold drinks. Specialized tools and materials provided, please bring your tools along with you.
Sharpening
Instructor: Angela Robins
Time to learn how to get your knives shaving sharp! Sharpening is a skill to be learned in order to do it well especially when it comes to Sloyd knives. Sharpening tools is an important part of skill development for both safety and for successfully carving long, smooth strokes to make spoons and other wooden ware. In this class, you will learn how to hone your blades with both sandpaper and strops. The advantages of various techniques and types of stones available will be discussed in depth.
Carve Yourself a Butter Knife | *Kids, Youth, Beginners*
4:00 – 5:30 (1.5 hour class) \ Ages 6-8 with an adult, or 9 and up
Instructor: Nico Peidrahita
In this workshop, youth and adults can learn the basics of working with the grain while carving their own butter knife. In just 1.5 hours, you’ll learn the basics of shaping wood into a simple, useful kitchen tool. You can choose to carve a classic butter spreader, or create a wooden replica inspired by the shape of a metal knife.
This workshop is designed as an approachable introduction to hand-carving for all ages, including kids, families, and first-time carvers. Students will learn basic layout, safe tool handling, simple shaping techniques, and finishing touches to make their knife comfortable to hold and ready to use.
Saturday, October 10
Workshops on Saturday range from 1, 1.5, 3, to 6-hours long. Please note the time of the class in each description. All 6-hour classes pause for lunch break at noon.
Wooden Pen Carving | *Kids, Youth, Beginners*
9AM – 10:30 AM \ Ages 6-8 with an adult, or youth 9 and up
Instructor: Angela Robins
Create your own handmade wooden pen in this approachable two-hour workshop. Participants will start with a pre-drilled wooden pen blank, then learn how to safely clamp the material and use files to shape the wood into a comfortable, one-of-a-kind design. Once the pen is shaped, students can add color and decoration with paint before fitting it with a ballpoint refill. This is a beginner-friendly class focused on simple hand-tool skills, creative design, and making a finished object you can use every day. No prior experience is necessary.
$12 material fee to be paid to the instructor
Free Workshop: Fan Bird Carving
9AM – 12PM (Capped at 10 students)
Instructor: Bart Moyers
In this free hands-on workshop, participants will be introduced to the tools, materials, and techniques used to create delicate wooden fan birds. Students will learn how to source suitable wood, prepare carving blanks, and use specialized techniques to shape, split, and fan thin feathers from a single piece of wood. The class will cover safe tool handling, grain orientation, blank preparation, and the steps needed to create a finished bird. Each participant will complete at least one fan bird during class and prepare additional blanks to take home for continued practice. No prior experience is required!
Advanced Chip Carving
9AM – 4PM
Instructor: Daniel Clay
Join this 6-hour workshop to advance your Swiss chip carving skills with more complex patterns and refined knife control. This workshop is designed for students who already know the basics and are ready to improve precision, consistency, and design confidence. Students will move beyond basic chip shapes to practice intricate layouts and clean intersections. We’ll also cover grain direction, body mechanics for longer carving sessions, sharpening, and how knife geometry affects clean cuts. Prior chip carving experience is recommended. Practice boards and an advanced project will be provided. Swiss chip carving knives will be available, though students are welcome to bring their own sharp chip carving knife.
Poplar Bowl Carving Basics
9AM – 4PM
Instructor: Jason Lonon
Have you wanted to try your hand at carving a wooden bowl, but needed an extra push to get started? If so, then his class is for you. In this introductory class, we will explore the basics of bowl carving. Starting with a piece of fresh, green wood, we will discuss basic layout of Scandinavian-style bowls and then each student will rough carve a small bowl using the axe and the adze. (We will also use planes, drawknives spokeshaves, and gouges.) This class will focus on good technique and building skill with basic bowl carving tools. Be inspired by just how simple and accessible carving your own wooden bowls can be. My goal is for each student to rough carve their bowl to a state where it is ready to take home for final drying and finish carving. This is a fast-paced, and very physical class. Beginners are welcome, and loaner tools are provided if you don’t already have your own.
$10 materials fee to be paid directly to instructor
Forging a Spoon-Carving Gouge
9AM – 4PM
Instructor: Barron Brown
In this hands-on class, you will learn how to make a functional spoon-carving gouge using locally available hardware-store tools and tool steel reclaimed from discarded saw blades. We will cover blade design, forging, hardening, tempering, sharpening, and fitting handles. By the end of class, you should expect to leave with at least one finished gouge. Materials will be provided for up to three gouges. Depending on your pace, you may be able to complete all three during class, though some may need final sharpening at home.
$15 material fee to be paid directly to instructor
Intermediate Cooking Spoon
9AM – 4PM
Instructor: Henry Gardner
Build your carving skills while making a functional wooden cooking spoon, from chopping out a rough blank to burnishing and oiling. Designed for intermediate students with some carving experience, ready to improve technique, efficiency, and control.
Students will work through each step, from roughing out the blank with an axe, to refining the bowl, handle, and profile with sloyd and hook knife. Along the way, we’ll cover tool selection, safe and effective body mechanics, grain direction, shaping strategies, and finishing techniques for a durable spoon ready for everyday kitchen use. This class is best suited for intermediate carvers who are comfortable using basic hand-carving tools. Students should be comfortable already with basic hand tools. If you have tools, bring a sloyd knife, hook knife, and axe. Closed-toe shoes required.
Simple Three Legged Stool
9AM – 4PM
Instructor: Don Nalezyty and Damien Ossi
Three-legged stools are wonderfully practical. Their three-point design sits solidly on uneven ground, making them perfect around the campfire, in the workshop, as a carving stool, or even as a footrest at camp or in the home. This workshop is designed as an easy introduction to traditional green woodworking. Starting with a poplar seat and legs split directly from a log, you’ll learn how to shape the parts with simple hand tools and assemble them into a sturdy, functional stool you’ll be proud to take home. Along the way, you’ll learn basic fundamentals used in traditional chairmaking, making this an ideal first step into the craft. No previous woodworking experience is required—just moderate hand strength, a willingness to learn, and the stamina to enjoy a full day of working with hand tools. Tools that you may want to bring: Straight knife, draw knife, hatchet.
$20 materials fee to be paid directly to instructor.
Intermediate Camp Cups
1PM – 4PM
Instructor: Aaron Sparks
Carve a functional wooden camp cup in this intermediate greenwood carving course. Designed for students with some carving experience, this class builds on basic spoon carving skills while introducing the added challenge of shaping a deeper, more complex vessel. Students will learn how to select appropriate wood, lay out a cup form, follow grain direction through a deep bowl, and use tools efficiently for hollowing and shaping. We’ll cover safe tool use, strategies for managing tricky grain, and finishing techniques for a durable cup ready for use around the campfire or at home. This course is best suited for students who are comfortable using a sloyd knife, hook knife, and axe. In addition to those tools, a larger hook knife, such as a twca cam, or a bowl gouge is recommended. An adze may also be useful for hollowing. Tools may be brought from home or borrowed if available.
Plant ID Adventure | *Kids & Youth*
1PM – 2PM \ ages 6-8 with parent, or youth 9 and up
Instructor: Nico Peidrahita
In this class we will take a walk in the woods and learn about some of the trees and plants around us (and what we can use them for!). Then we will play some fun games to help us remember what we learned and maybe even snack on some edible plants!
Carving for Fire Making: Feather Sticks & Bowdrill | *Youth & Beginners*
2:30PM – 4PM \ ages 9 and up
Instructor: Nico Peidrahita
Ever wanted to start a fire using simple materials from the woods? In this 1.5-hour beginner-friendly workshop, students will learn foundational knife skills for preparing kindling and fire-starting materials safely and effectively. Participants will practice safe carving techniques, learn how to make feather sticks, and explore how to split small pieces of wood with a knife to reach dry inner material. Along the way, we’ll cover basic tool safety, body positioning, wood selection, and how carving skills can support outdoor fire making. This workshop is designed for beginners, with a focus on safe, approachable skill-building rather than advanced survival techniques. Students will leave with a better understanding of how to use a knife responsibly and prepare wood for starting a fire outdoors
Sunday, October 11
Workshops on Sunday range from 1, 1.5, 3, to 6-hours long. Please note the time of the class in each description. All 6-hour classes pause for lunch break at noon.
White Oak Basketry
9AM – 4PM
Instructor: Micah Wiles
Split white oak has been used to make baskets for hundreds of years in Southern Appalachia. Learn how to turn a white oak log into weaving materials using various hand tools. Using green woodworking techniques, we will cover all steps for processing material, then use pre-prepared oak splits to make a simple square-to-round spoked basket. Students will have a chance to work hands-on splitting and scraping wood and will leave with the knowledge to continue making white oak baskets on their own. Come learn the skills to keep this traditional craft alive!
$100 materials fee to be paid directly to instructor on-site
Basic Knife Making
9AM – 4PM
Instructor: Barron Brown and Gray Taylor
Get ready for some old school Appalachian handiwork! Learn basic knife-making skills through crafting a fixed blade knife from leftover sawmill blades. We will cut out and heat treat the blades, then fit and pin black walnut scales with copper rivets. These knives are excellent for harvesting bark and odd jobs around the home, from cutting cordage to unboxing or chopping veggies. This process makes it easy to continue forging knives at home without the use of a forge or expensive equipment.
Tools to bring if you have them: carving knife, ball peen hammer or a small short handled sledge, rasps, fine and course files, MAAP gas torch or propane torch, ear and eye protection.
$15 materials fee to be paid directly to instructors
Tray Carving
9AM – 4PM
Instructor: Angela Robbins
Make woodchips fly in this hands-on tray carving workshop. Students will learn how to use an axe, adze, and bowl gouge to shape a wooden tray from solid wood, building confidence with larger carving tools along the way. We’ll cover wood selection, tray design, layout, safe and ergonomic tool use, and efficient techniques for hollowing and shaping. Students will focus on roughing out one tray during the day-long workshop, with an emphasis on tool control, grain direction, and creating a strong, functional form.
$10 material fee due directly to instructor.
Advanced Spoon Carving
1PM – 4PM
Instructor: Don Nalezyty
This workshop covers spoon-carving beginning to end and is designed to provide you with advanced techniques to continue improving your skills. You’ll learn skills for selecting the best trees for greenwood spoon carving, breaking-down logs and branches into usable spoon blanks and overall approach to help you carve the best spoons you can make. We’ll cover carving techniques with axe, sloyd, and hook knives that will allow you to carve safely and up your spoon game. You’ll walk away with at least one spoon of your own and the confidence to finish it and skills to create more.
Carve a Tiny Tea Spoon | *Kids, Youth & Beginners*
9AM – 12PM \ Ages 6-8 with adult, or youth 9 and up
Instructor: Nico Peidrahita
Learn how to carve a simple, elegant tea stirring spoon in this approachable spoon carving workshop. Students will work through the fundamentals of spoon design and hand-tool technique while making a small, functional spoon suited for stirring tea, coffee, and more! This class is a strong foundation for beginners who want to explore spoon carving and a useful skill-builder for carvers with some experience. We’ll cover layout, grain direction, safe tool use, shaping the handle and bowl, refining proportions, and finishing techniques that can be applied to more complex spoon forms in the future. Students will leave with a handmade tea stirring spoon and a clearer understanding of the techniques behind clean, functional spoon carving. Children welcome when accompanied by an adult.
Carving Coat Hooks or Slingshots | *Youth & Beginners*
1:00 – 2:30PM \ Ages 9 and up
Instructor: Nico Peidrahita
Learn to turn a branch into a hook to hang your coat OR a slingshot to practice shooting rocks in the woods! In this hands-on workshop for kids, students will begin by searching for the right branch or tree crook, then learn how to shape it. We’ll cover how to identify strong branch shapes, work with natural grain and curves, safely use carving tools, and refine the form for comfort and function. Along the way, students will build practical carving skills while learning to see useful shapes in the woods around them. Each participant will leave with a finished or nearly finished coat hook or slingshot, plus a better understanding of how to select and carve naturally shaped wood. No prior experience is necessary.
