Chicks with Hammers
Chick with hammer
This Saturday is one of my very favorite mountain festivals. I’m talking about the one-day, small mountain-town festival: Fire-on-the-Mountain in Spruce Pine NC.
Yes, this takes over half of the downtown area with forges and anvils. The ringing of multiple smiths hammering on projects from jewelry to architectural ornaments is a joy to the ears.
The all day-demonstration tent has bleachers for the crowd of blacksmith enthusiasts to watch artists explain the secrets and techniques of their specialty.
But my absolute favorite activity to watch is the hands-on forging tent that is operated by the nearby Penland School of Crafts. This hands-on experience is open to anyone who wants to try their hand at smithing. There are instructors for Penland to heat the iron and to guide your hammer blows, but you get a chance to hit hot iron. And take home your own creation.
It is especially fun to watch the kids take to the anvil. I’ve seen five year old smiths hammering. Their technique might need a little more practice, but they really concentrate.
And this is where I get to see Chicks with Hammers.
Yes. I admit to being easily charmed by cute girls. But watching little girls learn blacksmithing is amazing! Their safety equipment doesn’t slow them down. Their level of concentration is as high as anyone. And they really work at swinging the hammer with both hands. There is something so darn cute about Chicks with Hammers.
O.K. So I’m easily charmed.
Nestled in the heart of the Southern Appalachian Mountains are Yancey and Mitchell Counties. There be artists there!
Two plus days of meeting artists and seeing their work in their native habitat. Not restricted be gallery rules and limitations. This is wher you can see where they are at their creative best.
Tip 1: When you get there, sign the kids up for the Penland School’s hands-on forging. Since this is a favorite, the line gets long in the 
afternoon even with four anvils ringing.
Tip 2: Check the demonstration schedule and record when your favorite demon
