Desert Metal Craft, a blacksmithing school, hosted its Carnival of Fire on Saturday.
The event featured food trucks, a vendor market, fire sculptures, fire dancers, and demonstrations throughout the day from blacksmiths and Forged in Fire contestants.
One of the school’s instructors showcased how to forge a leaf keychain, which Desert Metal Craft co-owner Liz Cameron said is one of the most popular lessons in their beginner classes.
Many of the vendors were students and instructors from the school, offering them a platform to sell their metal art to the community.
“We want to fully support them from taking the classes and gaining the skills they need to discovering what speaks to them, all the way through wanting to start a business,” Cameron said.
Vendors sold art, jewelry, and knives, with the event drawing hundreds of people throughout the day.
Some attendees, such as Jason Burt, expressed interest in taking metal craft classes themselves.
“I love knives, and making them has always been something I’ve wanted to do, so it’s good to be able to talk to people and get more information than just trying to figure it out yourself,” Burt said.
Organizers said they've hosted the carnival on and off since starting it in 2020, but they now hope Saturday’s event marks their “grand return” and plan to make it an annual tradition.
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Maria Staubs joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist and producer in July of 2024. Her passion for writing and storytelling stems from anchoring her middle school’s news show and editing her high school’s yearbook. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication with a minor in film and media production, as well as a master's degree in mass communication. You can email Maria at maria.staubs@kgun9.com or reach out to her on X/Twitter or Instagram.
