Hosting the 2026 Metro Carvers CarveFest | Michigan Woodworks

This past weekend was a busy one — but a very rewarding one.

As President of the Metro Carvers of Michigan, I had the opportunity to help host our 2026 CarveFest, held September 25–26 in Washington Township, Michigan.

It was the first CarveFest the club had held in four years, so there was a lot of anticipation leading up to the event. Over the two days, we welcomed 117 attendees, including Metro Carvers members, experienced carvers, beginners, instructors, and visitors from throughout Michigan.

One of the best parts of the weekend was seeing such a wide variety of carving styles and techniques being shared throughout the facility. Sessions included caricature carving, bark carving, chip carving, whimsical carving, Santa faces, icicle carving, Möbius strips, woodburning, and a special “Learn How to Carve Wood” session for beginners.

For me personally, one of the highlights was spending more time around CCA Instructor Floyd Rhadigan, who was teaching caricature carving during the event. Even while helping organize and host CarveFest, I was able to pick up several new ideas and techniques from Floyd that I’m looking forward to applying to my own caricature carvings.

That is one of the things I enjoy most about woodcarving — there is always something new to learn. No matter how long you have been carving, another carver may show you a different way to shape a face, exaggerate a feature, create movement, or simply look at a carving from a new perspective.

The weekend was also a reminder that woodcarving is about much more than the finished piece. It is about sharing ideas, helping others, learning from experienced carvers, encouraging beginners, and spending time with people who enjoy the same craft.

A lot of work went into bringing CarveFest back after four years, but seeing the carving tables filled, hearing the conversations around the room, and watching both experienced and first-time carvers learning together made it all worthwhile.

A sincere thank-you goes to all of our instructors, volunteers, suppliers, Metro Carvers members, the Romeo–Washington–Bruce Parks & Recreation staff, and everyone who attended and helped make the weekend a success.

Hopefully, CarveFest will be back again next year.

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to getting back to the carving bench and putting some of those new caricature carving ideas to work.

Keep the chips flying!