The Lacombe Museums will be hosting their Annual Hammer-In Festival this weekend. The blacksmithing festival will be held just outside of Alberta’s oldest Blacksmith’s shop on 49th Street in Lacombe.  

There will be 13 different blacksmiths from across the province attending the event with seven different stations set up for the day. The blacksmiths will be working on projects of their choosing for the festival as well as a special project for the Lacombe Museums.  

“We'll be working on some new permanent fixtures inside the blacksmith shop and we've asked them if they're willing to help us out with that, so that they all can leave a piece of themselves behind with the shop. That's kind of our goal this year,” said Melissa Blunden, Executive Director of the Lacombe Museums.  

There will be lots of variety and different expertise on site from farriers to locksmiths but also with the forges themselves.  

“There'll be some propane forging going on there and a foundry as well. It'll be a really wide variety. People can kind of see how the art and the techniques of blacksmith thing have changed over the years,” added Blunden.  

The trip hammers were restored just in time for last year’s festival but if you didn’t get a chance to see them, they will also be running every hour this year.  

What’s new? 

A beer gardens and community BBQ will be a part of the events featuring local breweries including Blindman Brewery and Field and Forge.  

“The BBQ will be by donation. It's a charity or fundraiser for us and the beer gardens are obviously 18 and over to enter, but the BBQ will be outside of the beer garden for everyone,” said Blunden.  

Blacksmithing festivals in Alberta 

The Hammer-In Festival is an event that is truly unique to the City of Lacombe Blunden believes the festival is the largest blacksmithing festival in Alberta.  

“Our goal is to make this the largest in Western Canada and we're slowly growing every year. Last year, was the biggest one we've ever held. We're hoping to, if not match that, then exceed it this year,” said Blunden.  

Last year, there were over 500 people in attendance before the festival was rained out.  

The Hammer-In Festival will be happening on Saturday, August 26 from 10AM to 4PM.  

 

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