Illawarra Festival of Wood

Above: Stuart Montague, one of the organisers, is fully pumped for a packed festival program.

The beautiful Illawarra region, just north of Wollongong in NSW will soon welcome its very own festival of wood.

Grassroots and family-oriented are the keynotes of the Illawarra Festival of Wood, and the emphasis is on celebrating the art of handmade and the unique by-products that result.

Displays by artisans will feature Japanese joinery, fine furniture, jewellery, hand tools, knives, leather goods, marquetry boxes, pyrography, timber bicycles, timber spearguns, surfboards, surfing planes and much more. For the woodworker there will be a variety of timbers, tools and other goods to browse and purchase. 

If you're looking to get hands-on, workshops in spooncarving, green stick furniture, making a milking stool, carving wooden crochet hooks, pyrography, chopstick making and much more will be on offer.

Demonstrations in Aboriginal, Maori and chainsaw carving will be ongoing. A silent auction of two chainsaw sculptures will raise money to assist Dovetails for Diggers, and Against the Grain Veterans to purchase tools for their workshops to assist ex ADF and Emergency services staff with PTS.

Stan Ceglinski will conduct the great saw race, and demonstrate how to make cigar box guitars. Wood chopping and wood milling demos, activities for the kids, a four hour power tool usage workshop for women and girls led by SALT, plus food and entertainment from Illawarra locals will round out a packed program for woodworkers and wood and woodwork lovers.

When: Friday October 6 and Saturday Oct 7, 2017
Times: 10am – 5pm daily
Where: Bulli Showgrounds, NSW
Information: illawarrafestivalofwood.com