BIG CHANGES FOR 2025

Sadly my gig at Old City Park Dallas came to an end last May. After 51 years of operation by the Dallas Historical Society, the overlords at Dallas Parks decided it was in their best interests in letting all of us go, selling all the assets except the structures and trying to run the park themselves. I’m too sad to go back and look, but people that have gone to the park not knowing about the changes told me the park is a dismal shell of itself.

I was able to spend 4 years there, taught several hundred students the basics of blacksmithing and end with the distinction of being “The Last Blacksmith” in a very long line of demonstrators and teachers who worked at the park. All of the park assets, other than the buildings, were owned by the Historical Society and were either returned to the donors, given or sold to other museums or sold to the general public.

I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase the entirety of the moveable assets of the shop; anvils, hammers, tongs and tools (the whole kit and kaboodle). After donating some things and a lot of steel in sizes I don’t use to the North Texas Blacksmith Assn for their shop in Frisco, I moved all of the rest to my shop and have them safely stored for the day I find a suitable venue to continue teaching classes.

BIG NEWS II:

I am closing on a new house with a really nice shop In Hillsboro Texas at the end of May. It will probaly take me well in to the fall to get moved in and set up, but the plan is to begin offering classes there. Progress reports and photos will start showing up on my Instagram throughout the summer.

Market Schedule 2025

I will be back at the White Rock Lake Farmers Market the first Saturday of almost every month once I get the shop moved and up and running again.  (July? August?)

Saturday  October 4th I will be at Oddfest in Waxahachie Texas. Come out for the food, the art and the music. An eclectic group of artists and craftspeople hand picked by Waxahachie resident and facejug maker Carl Block and the IOOF lodge committee. It will be sure to have something for everyone plus great live music.

Saturday and Sunday October 11th and 12th I will be at the 53nd annual Edom Arts Festival in Edom Texas. Edom is a juried show with a great bunch of the best local artists and craftspeople from the area and I am honored to have been invited for a fourth year.

Novenber 29th will have me back at historic Orr-Reed Wrecking Yard on the Trinity River for the fall Misfit Island Market. Orr-Reed is on Rock Island St just a block from the Longhorn Ballroom.

December 13th I will be in Denton for Leslies Market at the UNT Co-Lab space.

December 6th and 20th I will be at my last markets of the year at White Rock Lake Farmers Market.

NOTE: I am a poor excuse for a webmaster and updater of this page and rely mostly on The Kilted Blacksmith Instagram page to keep you all informed. Follow me on Instagram for updates on the locations and news about future blacksmithing classes. Stay safe.

John