ABANA’s 50th Anniversary Celebration & Conference
June 6-9, 2024 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
We are pleased to hold our 50th Anniversary Celebration & Conference, June 6-9, 2024, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Activities will occur in Peoples Natural Gas Park and Central Park and points in between.
Tentative Schedule of Events:
Wednesday, June 5th:
- Opening Ceremony at 4 pm at Central Park
- Competition Teams will have access to select and cut their needed materials at Central Park.
Thursday, June 6th:
- Peoples Natural Gas Park: Demonstrations, vendors, tailgating, and food.
- Central Park: Forging competition sessions, kids activities, and food.
- CraftWork Studios: Craft classes
- Made in Johnstown: Gallery of Ironwork (drop off work only from 2-5 pm)
Friday, June 7th:
- Peoples Natural Gas Park: Demonstrations, vendors, tailgating, broom making class, food, music.
- Central Park: Forging competition sessions, kids activities, craft classes, food, and music.
- CraftWork Studios: Craft classes
- Made in Johnstown: Gallery of Ironwork (drop off work only 8am-noon; Gallery opens at 1 pm with Reception from 7-9pm)
- State Theater of Johnstown: Lectures
Saturday, June 8th:
- Peoples Natural Gas Park: Demonstrations, vendors, tailgating, broom making class, food, music.
- Central Park: Forging competition sessions, kids activities, food, and music.
- CraftWork Studios: Craft classes
- Made in Johnstown: Gallery of Ironwork (Open 9 am-noon; Pick up artwork noon-3 pm)
- State Theater of Johnstown: Lecture and Auction
Sunday, June 9th: Tour the Center for Metal Arts (106 Iron Street) at 9 am.
A more detailed schedule will be released at a later date. Hope to see you there!
The 2024 lineup brings back some of your favorites as well as a few new names for you to discover. From blades to sculpture and traditional forging to the ABANA National Curriculum, there’s something for everyone!
The Ring Project is back! Blacksmith artists, fabricators, and metal sculptors from around the world are invited to submit a forged 10″ ring with imagery inspired by the list of themes to represent the location of the ABANA 50th Anniversary Celebration & Conference.
One of the highlights of the ABANA 50-Year Anniversary Celebration will be the Team Forging Competition in Johnstown’s Central Park. If you might be interested in competing, let us know and we’ll keep you up to date on competition info.
We’re inviting everyone to show off your best creations in the gallery of ironwork – Traditional techniques, contemporary ironwork, sculpture, architectural forgings, repousse, and more!
There will be many volunteer opportunities available at the 50-Year Anniversary Celebration and we’d love your help! Join our email list for prospective volunteers and we’ll contact you in the future with available opportunities.
We’ve partnered with CraftWork Studios to host a variety of craft classes. Don’t forget to sign up (craft class registration is separate from conference registration). Check out the available classes.
Johnstown is conveniently located 65 miles East of Pittsburgh and offers daily arrivals via plane or train. In addition, there are several other regional airports offering non-stop service from larger cities such as Chicago and Washington, DC.
The Johnstown area offers different types of accommodations for visitors with any kind of budget. Choose from camping, hotels, and more. This year accommodations are up to the attendees to arrange, so be sure to book early.
Located in the Laurel Mountains of Pennsylvania, Johnstown has a colorful history as a booming steel town in the 1800s. Johnstown is host to major regional festivals and events which draw thousands of attendees.
More information about the ABANA Conference will be added as it becomes available.
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