California Blacksmith Association upcoming events

SPRING CONFERENCE 2026 - CBA Event (April 16, 2026)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT

(Note: For a mobile-device friendly video, click here. Watch on YouTube to view full screen.)

The 2026 Spring Conference will host a great series of guest demonstrators, hands-on education activities, and fun contests and games for all skill levels, not to mention great food! The 2026 conference committee will host an epic family-style barbecue as well! Plan your trip now and check back often for updates and registration.

Hands-on Education
Special Bladesmithing Area
Youth Education Area
Contests & Games
Gallery
Banquet and Auction
Vendors and Tailgating
On-site Meals
On-site Camping

Registration is open now.

DATE: April 16-18, 2026

LOCATION:

VISTA FORGE
Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum
2040 N. Santa Fe Ave., Vista, CA

Group photo from the 2023 Spring Conference at Vista.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Conference Fees
Schedule And Site Map
Getting There, Lodging, and Food
Demonstrators
Education / Hands-On
Vendors

ONLINE REGISTRATION: Register here online. Online registration is open till April 14, after that you can pay at the door.

MAIL-IN REGISTRATION: TBD

CONTACT & CONFERENCE ORGANIZING TEAM:

Catherine Wuertz
Chris Branuelas
David Morice
Anne Whattoff
David Gottfredson

Inquiries about the 2026 Conference: cbaspringconference@calsmith.org

SCHEDULE: (Download .pdf version)

SITE MAP:

CONFERENCE FEES:

Conference Fees Per-Person * For CBA Members -- non-members $20 more	On/Before March 26	After March 26
Full Conference (Thursday - Saturday)	$245	$265
Single Day	$125	$145

NO RISK REFUND POLICY - A full refund of conference and meal fees shall be provided if a member cancels at any time prior to the conference starting date.

GETTING THERE:

The conference will be held at the Vista Forge, located on the 55-acre Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum in Vista, California in northern San Diego County. The site has ample room for multiple blacksmithing events and education areas as well as on-site food and camping. Admission includes access to the museum's other areas as well, including a weavers and textile barn and cottage, a clock museum, a working sawmill, grain mill, antique steam and gas engines of all sizes, a clock museum, model railroad exhibit, and a working small track railroad. It is also an easy driving distance to a number of popular attractions like Disneyland, Legoland, Knotts Berry Farms, Sea World, and the San Diego Zoo and Safari Parks. There are many food options off-site and North San Diego is well known for its many breweries and wineries.

By Air, the San Diego International Airport and John Wayne Orange County Airports are the closest.

LODGING OPTIONS:

HOTELS: There are many hotels and motels within a short driving distance of the Conference site. The hotel with a special rate for our conference is: Courtyard by Marriott - Oceanside. 3501 Seagate Way, Oceanside, CA 92056 760-966-1000. Call the hotel to reserve your room under the "CBA Spring Conference" rate of $172/night.

CAMPING: There are plenty of low-cost dry tent and RV camping spots on-site:

- Dry RV site $25 per night. Tent camping $20 per night - Showers and restroom facilities on-site available through the registration link.

FOOD:

We will have a complimentary coffee bar each morning.

We will have breakfasts and lunches available for purchase on site each day.

Thursday night we will have a taco bar dinner for purchase.

We will host a potluck family-style barbecue on Friday night. This event has quickly become a tradition that the whole family will enjoy. Everyone is welcome. Feel free to bring a ready-to-serve dish, drink, or dessert to share!

Saturday Banquet and Auction with a vegetarian option available: $37.

DEMONSTRATORS

Click here for the summary from the CBA Magazine.

Lead demonstration team -
Serhii Polubotko, and Dennis Dusek

Our lead demonsatrators are Serhii Polubotko from Ukraine and our own Dennis Dusek. Together, they will develop teams of conference participants to forge a kinetic sculpture. Come watch this creation come to life, or join a team and be part of forging this epic sculpture! Bring your touchmark to add to the final project.

Serhii's sculpture:

“Seeds of Iron” is a collaborative kinetic sculpture created during the conference to celebrate 250 years of American blacksmithing.

The central vertical form represents a growing tree - a symbol of culture shaped over generations. Surrounding it, forged ‘eggs’ embody the seeds contributed by countless makers whose work has sustained and evolved the craft.

Twelve circular frames extend from the structure, each to be filled with forged elements representing milestones, tools, and artistic expressions of American blacksmithing - from traditional forms to contemporary interpretations.

A forged bench at the base invites visitors to engage physically with the piece, transforming the sculpture into a place of reflection, memory, and shared experience.

Serhii Polubotko is a Ukrainian artist-blacksmith and metal sculptor working with large-scale public artworks and international collaborative forging projects. He is the founder and longtime organizer of the International Festival of Blacksmiths in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, and regularly collaborates with blacksmithing communities across Europe and the United States.

Dennis Dusek is a full-time tool builder and lives in Northern California. Getting exposed to forging at Sierra College, Dennis continued his passion in blacksmithing, joining the California Blacksmith Association Education team giving Dennis a great base of knowledge and skillset in the craft. One of the most powerful lessons he learned is that you need to build the tools to build the art. Dennis has been lucky to have worked with many domestic and international smiths which has truly inspired his life and direction in this craft.

Elizabeth Belz

Elizabeth Belz is a contemporary blacksmith and metal artist celebrated for sculptural works inspired by insect anatomy and natural forms. She is the owner of Black Widow Forge and serves as Blacksmithing & Metals Coordinator at the John C. Campbell Folk School. Her style blends traditional forging with imaginative fabrication, crafting intricate steel creatures that push the narrative boundaries of what defines an “insect.”

Here's a "meet the artist" video on YouTube.

Walter Sorrells

Walter Sorrells is a master bladesmith known for forging Japanese-inspired swords and knives of the highest caliber. With over 25 years of experience in knifemaking, he creates artful blades that balance beauty with functionality – from modern high-performance tactical knives to traditional samurai-style swords forged from folded tamahagane steel. Sorrells is equally renowned as an educator in the craft, with clear instructional videos and demonstrations that have inspired a new generation of bladesmiths worldwide.

Here is Walter's "meet the artist" YouTube video.

Gary Brown

Gary Brown is a California blacksmith known for his historically inspired ironwork and meticulous reproductions of colonial-era designs. Working out of his forge in Southern California, Brown specializes in 18th-century-style tools, hardware, and decorative pieces made with traditional techniques. With nearly four decades of experience, he is revered as a living link to early American blacksmithing, demonstrating period-correct forging methods and bringing the past to life through his ironwork.

Gary will present a 3-day hands-on workshop during the conference for smiths to create their own heirloom-quality colonial-style hacksaw. Register for this option at: Gary Brown Workshop

Jeffrey Funk

Jeffrey Funk is a renowned Montana blacksmith and the founder of the New Agrarian School, dedicated to teaching traditional crafts. For over forty years he has worked in Bigfork, MT, forging everything from plowshares and farm tools to public art sculptures and custom architectural ironwork. Funk’s style emphasizes technical excellence and authenticity – he combines time-honored blacksmithing techniques with creative design. Beyond his accomplishments as a craftsman, Jeffrey Funk is perhaps best known as a teacher and mentor. He has been a regular demonstrator at blacksmith conferences across the country and has taught at esteemed craft institutions such as the Penland School of Crafts, Peter’s Valley, the New England School of Metalwork and others. Students and peers alike praise his depth of knowledge and his philosophical approach to the craft.

Anton Yakushev

Anton Yakushev is a world-class metal artist, sculptor and blacksmith, originally from Moscow, Russia and now based in Central Oregon. He is renowned for his contemporary hand-forged metal sculptures – fantastical, one-of-a-kind artworks composed of dozens of individually forged components. Yakushev’s creative process emphasizes experiment and improvisation, yielding dramatic pieces that have earned him top honors at international blacksmithing competitions and winning prestigious art awards (including the Herberholtz Award for an outstanding sculptor with the Northern California Arts Association, the International Artistic Blacksmith Award (First Prize in Metal Sculpture) in Alpens, Spain, the Moscow Region Governor’s Arts Award for his monumental public sculpture “Water Carrier”, etc.) and exhibitions across Europe, UK and the United States.

Bette Barnett

Bette will teach an intensive 1-day workshop, "Precious Illusions," on Saturday. This is "back by popular demand" from her session at Plymouth SC 2025. Bette is an authority on steel jewelry. She began studying the steel-gold fusion process in 2013. She has developed or refined many innovative techniques, including Keum Boo on steel, fusing alternative metals to steel, fusing powdered metals to steel, and, most recently, painting with powdered metals. Register for this workshop at this link: Barnett Workshop.

HANDS-ON EDUCATION

There are many educational opportunities planned for the 2026 Conference! You will be able to try your hand at the demonstrations at the open forges with the instructors available for coaching. Check the schedule. Mark Aspery, Jake Trogdon, and Paul Westfall will coach on specific projects at site M. A host of other members will show their projects. These include Keith Beifus, Kelly Carle, Guy Carpino, Joy Fire, Cynthia Kazanas, David Monce, Jarrett Schmidt, Becky Schimpf, and Richard Willis.

COMPETITIONS

In addition to plenty of forges available for open forging and practicing demo projects, there will be nightly contests and blacksmith games.

Walter Sorrells will host a knife-making contest.

Start practicing your skills now to compete and win!

VENDORS

The following vendors will be on-site to demonstrate their products and have products for sale.

Coal Ironworks is an American machine manufacturer that specializes in residential power forging. Our focus is on hydraulic presses, power hammers, and induction forging, with a goal of serving and empowering makers of all mediums.

Tru-Grit has been family-owned and operated since 1978. We offer the best quality abrasives and knifemaking supplies in the industry. Tru-Grit also offers Evenheat Ovens and the parts & accessories you need to heat treat your steel.

Forge a Colonial Hacksaw with Gary Brown (April 16, 2026)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Colonial Hacksaw Workshop by Gary Brown

10 students maximum - 3-day class

April 16-18, 9am - 3pm

$30 fee covers materials

Conference registration is required in addition to the above fee.

Forge a classic colonial-style hacksaw taught by Gary Brown. In this 3-day class, you will forge all the parts of this useful tool, including the threaded blade holder and wing nut. Materials will include the steel, a turned wooden handle, and a blade. You will leave with a handmade tool you will be proud to display and pass down as an heirloom!

This is limited to the first 10 registrants.

Conference participants are welcome to observe, but Gary may prioritize coaching the paid workshop attendees.

Precious Illusions by Bette Barnett (April 18, 2026)

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Precious Illusions: Fusing Powdered Bronzes to Steel by Bette Barnett

10 students maximum - 1-day class

April 18, 9am - 3pm

$100 fee covers materials, including a lot to take home.

Conference registration is required in addition to the above fee.

Here is a link to Bette talking about this class https://youtu.be/mAJ_i7kvQW0

Discover how to bring color, contrast, and luminous depth to forged steel in this one-day, hands-on workshop. Designed for blacksmiths who want to expand beyond traditional finishes, this class introduces the use of atomized bronze powders fused to steel surfaces to create rich painterly effects to your work. Bette Barnett is an artist and author who will teach you how to use a versatile range of bronze alloys—from warm coppery tones to golden and silvery hues. You’ll see how bronze can beautifully mimic the look of gold without the cost, opening up new creative possibilities for sculptural, architectural, and decorative ironwork.

This is limited to the first 10 registrants.

Conference participants are welcome to observe, but Bette may prioritize coaching the paid workshop attendees.

NEW AGRARIAN SCHOOL - Blacksmithing Workshops in Northwest Montana (June 01, 2026)

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT

NEW AGRARIAN SCHOOL - Blacksmithing Workshop in Northwest Montana

DATE: June 1 - Aug 28, 2026

LOCATION:

New Agrarian School

990 McCaffery Road
Bigfork, Montana 59911

CONTACT AND MORE INFO:

Phone: 406-890-1013

Email: jfunk@newagrarianschool.org

Website: http://www.newagrarianschool.org/

One and Two week intensive workshops in blacksmithing

See the workshop details on the website.

2026 workshop schedule

Session 1

Blacksmithing Fundamentals with Tony Stewart

One- week workshop, June 1 through June 5

Session 2

Hammers and Tongs with Jeffrey Funk

One- week workshop, June 8 through June 12

Session 3

Wild Iron: The Alchemy and Art of Bloomery Smelting with Eric Dennis

Two- week workshop, June 15 through June 26

Session 4

Oh Sheet! Repousse and Uchidashi with Heather McLarty

One- week workshop, July 6 through July 10

Session 5

Sketching from Nature with Jeffrey Funk

One-week workshop, July 13 through July 17

Session 6

Level II with Tangents: Forging with Precision and Purpose with Jake Trogdon

One-week workshop, July 20 through July 24

Session 7

Forged Iron Sculpture with Elizabeth Belz

One-week workshop, August 3 through August 7

Session 8

Timber Framing Hand Tools with Jeffrey Funk

One-week workshop, August 10 through August 14

Session 9

Everything is Important with Peter Braspenninx

Two- week workshop, August 17 through August 28

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