A couple of weeks ago my wife and I set off on a mini road trip down to Saratoga Springs, New York, to visit the annual Northeastern Woodworkers’ Association show (see www.nwawoodworkingshow.org). You may not have heard of it before, so to quote the event organizers:“This annual event, sponsored by the Northeastern Woodworkers Association, is an opportunity for artisans to display their work in hand made furniture, wood turning, carving, scroll sawing, & many other areas. Participants can learn from their peers, and participate in free seminars presented by nationally known guest woodworkers as well as local artisans.”We thought it was a perfect opportunity to meet a few people and look at some fantastic furniture, and that’s exactly what it turned out to be – making the 8 hour drive each way(!) very worthwhile. Saratoga Springs turned out to be a very pretty, quite upmarket little town and we thoroughly enjoyed our two days there. I was really taken by this magnificent and imposing elm, dominating a downtown sidewalk.
- Seminars from luminaries like Ernie Conover and Peter Follansbee
- Live demos from the Adirondack Woodturners Association, the Scrollers Guild and the Carvers Guild
- The Toy Factory – which was set up give kids the chance to make their own toys using simple tools and techniques
- And about 500 pieces of furniture to admire, some of which I thought was very good indeed
