BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Firefly Gathering - ECPv6.18.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Firefly Gathering X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.fireflygathering.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Firefly Gathering REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20280312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20281105T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261114T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261114T140000 DTSTAMP:20261004T131523Z CREATED:20260227T143850Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261004T131523Z UID:10000107-1794650400-1794664800@www.fireflygathering.org SUMMARY:Rawhide Lanterns w/ Josh Barnwell DESCRIPTION:About the Workshop: Rawhide Lanterns w/ Josh Barnwell\n\n\n\nAs the leaves fall and the diminishing days lead to long November nights\, we turn toward one of the oldest human instincts: to tend a small fire and lean in towards the light. Before glass was common\, before hardware stores and headlamps\, people depended on candles\, shaping the materials around them into vessels to protect the light. Rawhide has been meeting this need across continents and cultures since time immemorial. When held to a flame\, its translucent surface softens and amplifies candlelight like nothing else\, glowing beautifully and coming to life with the flame. \n\n\n\nIn this hands-on workshop\, we’ll join beloved Firefly Gathering friend & instructor\, Josh Barnwell\, in crafting our own individual rawhide candle lantern rooted in European designs dating back to the Iron Age. \n\n\n\nDuring this workshop\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nLearn how rawhide is made and why it behaves so differently from leather\n\n\n\nExplore its unique properties as a natural material\n\n\n\nSelect and assess hides for your project\n\n\n\nCreate and pattern your own lantern design\n\n\n\nClean and prepare the lantern body\n\n\n\nPractice basic rawhide stitching\n\n\n\nAssemble your own working candle lantern\n\n\n\n\nThis class is open to all skill levels\, whether you’re brand new to handcraft or already comfortable with natural materials\, you’ll find something here: a new medium\, a new technique\, a new way of being with the light. Each participant will take home your finished rawhide candle lantern\, as well as the knowledge and skill to continue experimenting\, adapting and following your inspiration wherever it leads. \n\n\n\nThis class will be held indoors on Saturday\, November 14th\, 2026\, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm in Asheville\, NC. \n\n\n\nThis class is suitable for all levels of experience! Moderate hand strength is helpful.The minimum age is 12 and participants under 16 must attend with an accompanying adult. \n\n\n\nAbout the Instructor: Josh Barnwell\nJosh Barnwell has been a lifelong student of traditional and endangered skills\, starting with learning the plants and wildlife from the woods around his home and growing from there. With over 20 years of experience under his belt\, he leads classes with enthusiasm and the philosophy that by learning these skills to directly meet our needs from the natural world and attaining a connection to and appreciation of that world\, we connect and align ourselves to what it truly is to be a human living on this planet. \n\n\n\nJosh teaches for various gatherings\, camps\, and nature programs around the southeast and beyond. When he is not leading a workshop or teaching for a gathering he is participating in the highly seasonal\, cyclical crafts that make up the wheel of his year. \n\n\n\n✨ “My favorite part of teaching is seeing the joy and enthusiasm of my students as they connect with the natural world in a tangible way. My goal is to share skills that people can carry into their daily lives\, deepening their relationship with nature.” \n\n\n\nYou can find out more about Josh on his website bewelloutdoors.com. \n\n\n\n\nEquitable Pricing Model $60 – $110\n\n\n\n* Please click here to learn about your pricing options before you register for your first Perennial Workshop. The pricing options are the same for all events\, so you only need to do it once!\nIn order to make our workshops more accessible\, we offer two price options for each class\, with an additional Equity Discount for qualifying individuals. Please consider these options and select your price at checkout. \n\n\n\n\nSponsor Price $110: For those who have enough to share\, thank you for being a Sponsor. This is an opportunity to contribute towards the cost of the class for someone else.\n\n\n\nStandard Price $85: The Standard reflects one person’s share of what it costs to produce the class and cover basic expenses.\n\n\n\nEquity Discount $60: We offer an additional Equity Discount for those from the following communities who support reparations and/or an equitable redistribution of wealth and would not have access to this workshop without this discount:\n\nIndigenous or Native American\, Black\, Latino/a/x\n\n\n\nOther peoples of the global majority\, or racialized communities\n\n\n\nEthnicities underrepresented in the Southeastern earthskills community\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThank you for helping transform the world into a culture of abundance\, resilience\, and opportunity for all. \n\n\n\nWhich Price Option is Right for You?*\n\n\n\n\nFind your Pricing Option\n\n\n\n\n*Please check your pricing options before you register for your first Perennial Workshop. The pricing options are the same for all events\, so you only need to do it once! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nClass Price includes all Materials for the Class\n\n\n\nRegistration closes at 8am on November 14th \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWant to support our Equity Fund but not able to upgrade to Sponsor Price? Donate below!\n\n\n\n \n \n \n Equity Fund Donation – Sliding Scale\n \n \n \n Choose price\n \n \n \n \n Friend of Firefly ($5/month)\n \n \n \n Add to cart\n \n \n \n \n Donation – Choose your amount\n \n \n \n Choose price URL:https://www.fireflygathering.org/event/rawhide-lanterns-w-josh-barnwell CATEGORIES:Perennial Workshop ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.fireflygathering.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/600x400.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261122T162000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261122T230000 DTSTAMP:20260924T172118Z CREATED:20260924T171610Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260924T172118Z UID:10000112-1795364400-1795388400@www.fireflygathering.org SUMMARY:Firefly Gathering: GRATIFLY Hoedown Throwdown DESCRIPTION:Firefly Gathering: GRATIFLY Hoedown Throwdow\n\n\n\nThe Firefly Gathering invites you for an evening of communal connection and medicine for the heart and soul! As the nights lengthen and the world often feels like too much to hold\, we’re curating a liminal space of awareness and release\, where we can acknowledge the reality we’re collectively in\, and give ourselves over to the healing power of movement through dancing\, singing and play. \n\n\n\nSo bust out your feral finery and get ready to come together on November 22 (location TBA) to move through the madness into joy! In addition to Holy River\, we’ll have other local musical performances\, the Holiday Craft Bazaar & Skills Demos\, a playful Sock Wrestling tournament\, Bigwitch’s Native Cultural Offerings & Food\, Street Creature Puppet Collective and more! \n\n\n\nThis is a Community Building Event : Ticket Tiers Reflect This \n\n\n\nThe Firefly Gathering believes in the power of community above all else. Humans are animals and communal ones at that\, having evolved in a landscape of mutual aid and reciprocity. We’re all feeling the economic impacts of the times\, so we’ve priced this FUNdraiser to be accessible to as many folks as possible! And there’s options to give a little – or A LOT – more\, according to your abilities. So plan to join us for this family friendly event\, choose the critter that represents your needs\, and get your tickets today! We can’t wait to celebrate with you on November 22nd! \n\n\n\n~Why The Date Change: \n\n\n\nHave you wondered why we changed the date of our Fall FUNdraising event? Well\, we have a GREAT reason: HOLY RIVER! This amazing musical duo fills our hearts with hope and magic\, and we dearly missed them at the Annual Firefly Gathering this year\, as they were touring communities in Europe! \n\n\n\nWe are collectively experiencing times of unprecedented division\, fear and uncertainty as the world we’ve known changes faster than we can keep pace with. As capitalism consumes freedom worldwide and our democracy crumbles before our eyes\, we MUST continue to come together and uplift each other\, strengthen our networks of support and build resilience into the fabric of our beings. \n\n\n\nSo we changed the date to accommodate our beloveds\, knowing that our hearts need the medicine their music brings. Mark your calendars\, buy your tickets and plan to join us for an evening of unity\, music & fun! \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWant to support our Equity Fund but not able to upgrade to Sponsor Price? Donate below!\n\n\n\n \n \n \n Equity Fund Donation – Sliding Scale\n \n \n \n Choose price\n \n \n \n \n Friend of Firefly ($5/month)\n \n \n \n Add to cart\n \n \n \n \n Donation – Choose your amount\n \n \n \n Choose price URL:https://www.fireflygathering.org/event/firefly-gathering-gratifly-hoedown-throwdown CATEGORIES:Fundraisers,Perennial Workshop ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.fireflygathering.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/eventbrite-fallfundraiser-2026-v3.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261219T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261219T150000 DTSTAMP:20261004T131357Z CREATED:20260305T015631Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261004T131357Z UID:10000108-1797681600-1797692400@www.fireflygathering.org SUMMARY:Hand-Dipped Beeswax Candle Making w/ Jess Kaufman DESCRIPTION:About the Workshop: Hand-Dipped Beeswax Candle Making w/ Jess Kaufman\n\n\n\nOn the longest nights of the year\, we’ll come together in warmth and good company for this age-old Solstice tradition: hand-dipping beeswax candles\, a timeless practice that invites patience\, presence and a quiet resilience. \n\n\n\nIn the 5th Annual cozy\, hands-on workshop\, you’ll gather around the “fire” of gently simmering cauldrons of golden beeswax\, the earthy-sweet smell filling the air. Settle into the calming rhythm of dip\, cool\, and repeat as your tapers slowly take shape. Jess Kaufman\, local batik artist and founder of WAXON\, will guide you through the candle-making process while sharing the deeper story of beeswax—an increasingly rare and precious gift from our pollinator kin. \n\n\n\nYou’ll also learn how WAXON’s zero-waste batik studio reclaims and reuses every drop of wax\, honoring this sacred material through careful stewardship and creative reuse. The result is a practice rooted not only in craft\, but in sustainability and care. \n\n\n\nParticipants will leave with: \n\n\n\n\nTwo pairs of hand-dipped beeswax taper candles (four total\, with the option to make more)\n\n\n\nPractical candle-making skills\, from wick selection to tapering\, trimming\, and shaping\, along with tricks learned over time\n\n\n\nA shared sense of connection and joy as we honor the darkness and welcome the returning light in the 5th Annual Solstice Beeswax Candle Dipping Workshop\n\n\n\n\nJess says her favorite part of the class is “watching the joy on people’s faces as their candles grow.” Come celebrate the Solstice\, kindle your own light\, and take part in a tradition that weaves together community\, craft\, and reverence for the natural world. \n\n\n\nThis class will be held indoors on Saturday\, December 19th\, 2026\, from 12:00pm – 3:00 pm in Asheville\, NC. \n\n\n\nThis class is suitable both for experienced crafters and beginners alike! The minimum age is 10 accompanied by an adult or 16 unaccompanied. Please be prepared for long periods of standing. \n\n\n\nAbout the Instructor: Jess Kaufman\nJessica Kaufman (she/her) has an MA in crafts education and is the owner of WAXON Batik & Dye Studio in Asheville\, NC.  With over 22 years of teaching experience\, Jess has taught a wide variety of fiber and textile arts to summer campers\, school children\, high schoolers\, and adult workshops up and down the East Coast.  Her enthusiasm for teaching is apparent in every class she leads.  Jess maintains over 80 free knitting videos at HappyGoCrafty.com.Find out more about Jess and her offerings at waxonstudio.com. \n\n\n\n\nEquitable Pricing Model $37 – $77\n\n\n\n* Please click here to learn about your pricing options before you register for your first Perennial Workshop. The pricing options are the same for all events\, so you only need to do it once!\nIn order to make our workshops more accessible\, we offer two price options for each class\, with an additional Equity Discount for qualifying individuals. Please consider these options and select your price at checkout. \n\n\n\n\nSponsor Price $77: For those who have enough to share\, thank you for being a Sponsor. This is an opportunity to contribute towards the cost of the class for someone else.\n\n\n\nStandard Price $57: The Standard reflects one person’s share of what it costs to produce the class and cover basic expenses.\n\n\n\nEquity Discount $37: We offer an additional Equity Discount for those from the following communities who support reparations and/or an equitable redistribution of wealth and would not have access to this workshop without this discount:\n\nIndigenous or Native American\, Black\, Latino/a/x\n\n\n\nOther peoples of the global majority\, or racialized communities\n\n\n\nEthnicities underrepresented in the Southeastern earthskills community\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThank you for helping transform the world into a culture of abundance\, resilience\, and opportunity for all. \n\n\n\nWhich Price Option is Right for You?*\n\n\n\n\nFind your Pricing Option\n\n\n\n\n*Please check your pricing options before you register for your first Perennial Workshop. The pricing options are the same for all events\, so you only need to do it once! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nClass Price includes all Materials for the Class\n\n\n\nRegistration closes at 12pm on December 19th \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWant to support our Equity Fund but not able to upgrade to Sponsor Price? Donate below!\n\n\n\n \n \n \n Equity Fund Donation – Sliding Scale\n \n \n \n Choose price\n \n \n \n \n Friend of Firefly ($5/month)\n \n \n \n Add to cart\n \n \n \n \n Donation – Choose your amount\n \n \n \n Choose price URL:https://www.fireflygathering.org/event/hand-dipped-beeswax-candle-making-w-jess-kaufman CATEGORIES:Perennial Workshop ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.fireflygathering.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/FB-Beeswax-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270206T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270206T150000 DTSTAMP:20261026T160806Z CREATED:20261026T160806Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261026T160806Z UID:10000116-1801908000-1801926000@www.fireflygathering.org SUMMARY:Crafting Tame Toys for Grown-ups w/ Beaver Richards DESCRIPTION:About the Workshop: Crafting Tame Toys for Grown-ups\n\n\n\nJust in time for Valentine’s Day\, this spicy offering brings traditional earthskills into the realm of intimate connection & play\, in a platonic and respectful workshop setting! Using feathers\, leather & fur\, participants will be guided in crafting their very own sensory toys: \n\n\n\n* Learn simple hand sewing techniques for leather and fur* Learn how to join things with a cordage wrap and homemade pitch putty* Create your own unique tickler\, flogger & blindfold \n\n\n\nParticipants will use feathers from a car-killed turkey\, home-made pitch putty\, and cordage wrapping to craft a feather tickler. Then\, we’ll hand sew a simple leather flogger\, learning techniques of cutting and sewing leather in the process. Finally\, we’ll craft a super soft blindfold out of rabbit hides. \n\n\n\nStudents are highly encouraged to bring supplemental materials if able: special feathers\, a meaningful stick (pinky thick)\, homemade leather and fur. These help personalize your toy\, but all necessary materials will be provided. Some handmade leather will be available for an extra fee.  \n\n\n\nThis class is beginner friendly and no experience is necessary. Pricing is set to encourage folks to bring a sweetie or a friend\, but solo students are welcome! Moderate hand strength and patience are needed for hand sewing. We will briefly discuss consent and boundaries\, but this workshop will focus on crafting the items\, not using them during class. Bring your creative energy and enjoy ancient earthskills in a whole new way!  \n\n\n\nThis class will be held indoors on Saturday\, February 6th\, 2027\, from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm in Asheville\, NC. \n\n\n\nClass Price includes all Materials for the Class \n\n\n\nParticipants must be 18 years of age or older. \n\n\n\nAbout the Instructor: Beaver Richards\nAlso known as ‘Ryan’\, Beaver’s introduction to earth skills started with tanning a deer into buckskin and now he has an incurable case of hide fever. He enjoys working with roadkill and other natural materials to craft clothing\, tools and toys. A lifelong student and always a busy beaver\, he is excited to share the crafts which give him meaning. \n\n\n\n\nEquitable Pricing Model $65 – $125\n\n\n\n* Please click here to learn about your pricing options before you register for your first Perennial Workshop. The pricing options are the same for all events\, so you only need to do it once!\nIn order to make our workshops more accessible\, we offer two price options for each class\, with an additional Equity Discount for qualifying individuals. Please consider these options and select your price at checkout. \n\n\n\n\nSponsor Price $125: For those who have enough to share\, thank you for being a Sponsor. This is an opportunity to contribute towards the cost of the class for someone else.\n\n\n\nStandard Price $95: The Standard reflects one person’s share of what it costs to produce the class and cover basic expenses.\n\n\n\nEquity Discount $65: We offer an additional Equity Discount for those from the following communities who support reparations and/or an equitable redistribution of wealth and would not have access to this workshop without this discount:\n\nIndigenous or Native American\, Black\, Latino/a/x\n\n\n\nOther peoples of the global majority\, or racialized communities\n\n\n\nEthnicities underrepresented in the Southeastern earthskills community\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThank you for helping transform the world into a culture of abundance\, resilience\, and opportunity for all. \n\n\n\nWhich Price Option is Right for You?*\n\n\n\n\nFind your Pricing Option\n\n\n\n\n*Please check your pricing options before you register for your first Perennial Workshop. The pricing options are the same for all events\, so you only need to do it once! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nClass Price includes all Materials for the Class\n\n\n\nRegistration closes at 9am on February 6th \n\n\n\n  URL:https://www.fireflygathering.org/event/crafting-tame-toys-for-grown-ups-w-beaver-richards CATEGORIES:Class Categories,Perennial Workshop ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.fireflygathering.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/everything-600x400-1.jpeg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270220T123000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270220T160000 DTSTAMP:20261019T184613Z CREATED:20261019T184452Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261019T184613Z UID:10000114-1803126600-1803139200@www.fireflygathering.org SUMMARY:Winter Botany & Wild Foraged Tea w/ Marc Williams DESCRIPTION:About the Workshop: Winter Botany & Wild Foraged Tea w/ Marc Williams\n\n\n\nWhen the lush greens and bright blooms of summer fade away\, a quieter world of wonder remains. Join ethnobotanist and longtime Firefly instructor & beloved friend\, Marc Williams\, for an immersive workshop and garden walk exploring the art of winter plant identification and wild foraging. \n\n\n\nTogether\, we’ll learn to recognize the subtle signatures of plants during their dormant phase\, tracing patterns in bark\, buds and form that reveal who’s who beneath the winter hush. Marc will guide participants in deepening their botanical literacy and relationship with local ecology\, blending scientific insight with ethnobotanical wisdom and practical foraging knowledge. \n\n\n\nAs we walk the garden and surrounding landscape\, we’ll: \n\n\n\n\nPractice identifying plants without their usual flowers\, fruits\, or leaves\n\n\n\nDiscuss off-season plant characteristics and traditional uses\n\n\n\nExplore key resources for continuing your studies\n\n\n\nShare wild-foraged tea and connection to close the afternoon\n\n\n\n\nWinter botany is a lesser-known\, yet vital skill that invites us to see the natural world with new eyes. By learning to read the land in its quiet season\, we strengthen our awareness\, resilience\, connection and capacity to live sustainably within our ecosystems – all year long. \n\n\n\nThis class will be held outdoors on Saturday\, February 20th\, 2027\, from 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm near Asheville\, NC. \n\n\n\nThis class is suitable for all levels of experience! The minimum age is 10 with an accompanying adult. \n\n\n\nAbout the Instructor: Marc Williams\nEthnobiologist Marc Williams has studied the people\, plant\, mushroom and microbe interconnection intensively while learning to employ botanicals and other life forms for food\, medicine\, and beauty in a regenerative manner. His training includes a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies concentrating in Sustainable Agriculture with a minor in Business from Warren Wilson College and a Master’s degree in Appalachian Studies concentrating in Sustainable Development with a minor in Geography and Planning from Appalachian State University. He has spent over two decades working at a multitude of restaurants and various farms and has traveled throughout 30 countries in Central/North/South America and Europe as well as all 50 states of the USA. Marc has visited over 200 botanical gardens and research institutions during this process while taking tens of thousands of pictures of representative plants and other entities. He has taught hundreds of classes to thousands of students about the marvelous world of people and their interface with other organisms while working with over 100 organizations and particularly as a Board of Directors member of United Plant Savers\, Plants and Healers International\, and online at the website www.botanyeveryday.com. Marc’s greatest hope is that this effort may help improve our current challenging global ecological situation. \n\n\n\n\nEquitable Pricing Model $25 – $65\n\n\n\n* Please click here to learn about your pricing options before you register for your first Perennial Workshop. The pricing options are the same for all events\, so you only need to do it once!\nIn order to make our workshops more accessible\, we offer two price options for each class\, with an additional Equity Discount for qualifying individuals. Please consider these options and select your price at checkout. \n\n\n\n\nSponsor Price $65: For those who have enough to share\, thank you for being a Sponsor. This is an opportunity to contribute towards the cost of the class for someone else.\n\n\n\nStandard Price $45: The Standard reflects one person’s share of what it costs to produce the class and cover basic expenses.\n\n\n\nEquity Discount $25: We offer an additional Equity Discount for those from the following communities who support reparations and/or an equitable redistribution of wealth and would not have access to this workshop without this discount:\n\nIndigenous or Native American\, Black\, Latino/a/x\n\n\n\nOther peoples of the global majority\, or racialized communities\n\n\n\nEthnicities underrepresented in the Southeastern earthskills community\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThank you for helping transform the world into a culture of abundance\, resilience\, and opportunity for all. \n\n\n\nWhich Price Option is Right for You?*\n\n\n\n\nFind your Pricing Option\n\n\n\n\n*Please check your pricing options before you register for your first Perennial Workshop. The pricing options are the same for all events\, so you only need to do it once! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nClass Price includes all Materials for the Class\n\n\n\nRegistration closes at 9am on February 20th \n\n\n\n  URL:https://www.fireflygathering.org/event/winter-botany-wild-foraged-tea-w-marc-williams-3 CATEGORIES:Naturalist Walks,Perennial Workshop ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.fireflygathering.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Winter-Bot-600x400-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270306T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270306T160000 DTSTAMP:20261027T172439Z CREATED:20261027T172439Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261027T172439Z UID:10000117-1804327200-1804348800@www.fireflygathering.org SUMMARY:Blacksmithed Spoons and Ladles w/ Tod Kershaw DESCRIPTION:About the Workshop: Blacksmithed Spoons and Ladles\n\n\n\nBack by popular demand! Join engineer-turned-off-grid dumpster diver extraordinaire Tod Kershaw for a lively\, hands-on adventure in blacksmithing with reclaimed materials. Tod’s inventive spirit and knack for making beauty from the scrap heap will inspire you to see discarded metal in a whole new way. \n\n\n\nIn this workshop\, you’ll learn how to find\, reclaim\, and transform scrap metal into something both beautiful and functional — a one-of-a-kind serving spoon or ladle forged entirely from salvaged materials. From rebar ties and 55-gallon drums\, to copper plumbing pipe and aluminum transmission wire brought down by hurricane Helene\, every element in this class — even the coal — is reclaimed\, foraged\, or reused! \n\n\n\nThrough the process\, you’ll: \n\n\n\n\nIdentify and source useful metals and fuels\n\n\n\nLearn how to extract and process reclaimed materials\n\n\n\nPractice foundational blacksmithing techniques\, including hammering\, shaping\, and coal fire tending\n\n\n\nExplore cold swaging and riveting methods using handmade rivets\n\n\n\nGain confidence using a variety of hand tools\n\n\n\nCraft your own beautiful\, functional serving spoon or ladle to take home\n\n\n\n\nWhether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned tinkerer\, this class will give you the skills and confidence to keep creating with what’s around you — proof that artistry and sustainability can go hand in hand. \n\n\n\nThis class will be held outdoors on Saturday\, March 6th\, 2027\, from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm in Barnardsville\, NC. \n\n\n\nClass Price includes all Materials for the Class\n\n\n\nThe minimum age is 14 with an accompanying adult. Moderate strength is recommended for this workshop. \n\n\n\nAbout the Instructor: Tod Kershaw\nIn Tod’s own words:My father told me that when I was very young he took me to a craft gathering and I spent the entire time hanging around and pestering the blacksmith. Years later I worked as a professional welder and enjoyed working with hot metal. Then\, around 35 years old I went to a gathering like Firefly and hung around the blacksmith the whole time. Then I started doing it myself.One thing that draws me to this craft is that it can be done almost entirely with scavenged materials. I like scavenging. And with relatively little experience or money one can create beautiful and useful things. \n\n\n\n\nEquitable Pricing Model $55 – $130\n\n\n\n* Please click here to learn about your pricing options before you register for your first Perennial Workshop. The pricing options are the same for all events\, so you only need to do it once!\nIn order to make our workshops more accessible\, we offer two price options for each class\, with an additional Equity Discount for qualifying individuals. Please consider these options and select your price at checkout. \n\n\n\n\nSponsor Price $130: For those who have enough to share\, thank you for being a Sponsor. This is an opportunity to contribute towards the cost of the class for someone else.\n\n\n\nStandard Price $90: The Standard reflects one person’s share of what it costs to produce the class and cover basic expenses.\n\n\n\nEquity Discount $55: We offer an additional Equity Discount for those from the following communities who support reparations and/or an equitable redistribution of wealth and would not have access to this workshop without this discount:\n\nIndigenous or Native American\, Black\, Latino/a/x\n\n\n\nOther peoples of the global majority\, or racialized communities\n\n\n\nEthnicities underrepresented in the Southeastern earthskills community\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThank you for helping transform the world into a culture of abundance\, resilience\, and opportunity for all. \n\n\n\nWhich Price Option is Right for You?*\n\n\n\n\nFind your Pricing Option\n\n\n\n\n*Please check your pricing options before you register for your first Perennial Workshop. The pricing options are the same for all events\, so you only need to do it once! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nClass Price includes all Materials for the Class\n\n\n\nRegistration closes at 9am on March 6th \n\n\n\n  URL:https://www.fireflygathering.org/event/blacksmithed-spoons-and-ladles-w-tod-kershaw-3 CATEGORIES:Class Categories,Perennial Workshop ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.fireflygathering.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/FF-Tods-spoon-600-x-400.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20270320T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20270320T160000 DTSTAMP:20261020T154641Z CREATED:20261020T154558Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261020T154641Z UID:10000115-1805533200-1805558400@www.fireflygathering.org SUMMARY:Kudzu Basket Weaving w/ Carleigh Fairchild DESCRIPTION:About the Workshop: Kudzu Basket Weaving w/ Carleigh Fairchild\n\n\n\nDiscover the usefulness hidden in one of Appalachia’s most abundant wild plants — Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) and learn how to transform a nuisance into a source of beauty with a purpose! Guided by experienced basketmaker and Earthskills instructor Carleigh Fairchild\, participants will explore the full journey of wild weaving. \n\n\n\nParticipants will  learn the foundational techniques for beginning\, shaping\, and finishing a basket\, while gaining confidence in working with raw materials so you can take this craft out into the wilds! In this hands-on workshop\, you’ll learn how to transform this often misunderstood vine into something both functional and beautiful: a useful basket crafted with invasive materials by your own two hands. \n\n\n\nThis class welcomes all skill levels\, and while some previous basketry experience is helpful\, curiosity and willingness to learn are what matter most. As we weave\, we’ll reflect on the ways basketmaking can mirror our own inner rhythms\, inviting patience\, creativity and connection. \n\n\n\nYou’ll head home with our own handmade kudzu basket\, plus: \n\n\n\n\nThe knowledge of how to prepare\, split\, process and store Kudzu vines\n\n\n\nKnow how to start a basket\, add in weavers\, and finish the rim\, all while tending to the overall shape\n\n\n\nThe skills to continue weaving with wild vines\n\n\n\nA renewed sense of empowerment\, creativity\, and connection to the natural world\n\n\n\nA new perspective on what we consider / label foreign or invasive \n\n\n\n\nMore than a craft class\, this is an invitation to reimagine your relationship with the land; to see beauty where others see problems\, and to weave deeper connection into your daily life. \n\n\n\nThis class will be held indoors on Saturday\, March 20th\, 2027\, from 9:00am – 4:00 pm in Asheville\, NC. \n\n\n\nClass Price includes all Materials for the Class \n\n\n\nThe minimum age is 18\, although 12 and ups are welcome if they are making a basket with an adult. Moderate hand strength is recommended for this workshop. \n\n\n\nAbout the Instructor: Carleigh Fairchild\nCarleigh (she/her) has a deep love for the Earth. She gardens\, keeps bees\, wild harvests\, processes animals\, tans hides\, weaves baskets\, and finds joy in time spent around the fire. \n\n\n\nAs the founder of Human Nature Connection LLC\, Carleigh feels called to help others remember that we can live in a collaborative and respectful relationship with the Earth. She joined the survival show ALONE to share that message with a wider audience and to explore the depth of her own connection to the land. Over 86 days in the wilds of Patagonia\, she relied on her skills\, intuition\, and connection with the Earth—emerging with a deeper understanding of what it means to truly belong to the natural world.  \n\n\n\nCarleigh first learned survival and earth skills as a teenager through kids’ camps at the Tracker School\, founded by Tom Brown Jr. Over the last 25 years\, basket weaving has become one of the skills she’s most deeply developed. It is more than a craft—it’s a practice of connection\, a quiet dialogue with the nervous system\, and in a chaotic world\, a path back to self and stillness. \n\n\n\nLiving and teaching in Western North Carolina\, Carleigh offers both online and in-person classes\, often working with families\, friends\, and community groups. She loves weaving not just materials\, but relationships—believing that a basket is never just a basket\, but a symbol of creating containers that connect us to ourselves\, each other\, and the Earth. \n\n\n\nCarleigh is also a NIASZIIH bodywork healer and a teacher at WildernessFusion\, with a practice based in Asheville\, NC\, where her work continues to weave together body\, earth\, and spirit. \n\n\n\nYou can learn more about her offerings at humannatureconnection.com. \n\n\n\n\nEquitable Pricing Model $75 – $155\n\n\n\n* Please click here to learn about your pricing options before you register for your first Perennial Workshop. The pricing options are the same for all events\, so you only need to do it once!\nIn order to make our workshops more accessible\, we offer two price options for each class\, with an additional Equity Discount for qualifying individuals. Please consider these options and select your price at checkout. \n\n\n\n\nSponsor Price $155: For those who have enough to share\, thank you for being a Sponsor. This is an opportunity to contribute towards the cost of the class for someone else.\n\n\n\nStandard Price $115: The Standard reflects one person’s share of what it costs to produce the class and cover basic expenses.\n\n\n\nEquity Discount $75: We offer an additional Equity Discount for those from the following communities who support reparations and/or an equitable redistribution of wealth and would not have access to this workshop without this discount:\n\nIndigenous or Native American\, Black\, Latino/a/x\n\n\n\nOther peoples of the global majority\, or racialized communities\n\n\n\nEthnicities underrepresented in the Southeastern earthskills community\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThank you for helping transform the world into a culture of abundance\, resilience\, and opportunity for all. \n\n\n\nWhich Price Option is Right for You?*\n\n\n\n\nFind your Pricing Option\n\n\n\n\n*Please check your pricing options before you register for your first Perennial Workshop. The pricing options are the same for all events\, so you only need to do it once! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nClass Price includes all Materials for the Class\n\n\n\nRegistration closes at 8am on March 19th \n\n\n\n  URL:https://www.fireflygathering.org/event/kudzu-basket-weaving-w-carleigh-fairchild-2 CATEGORIES:Basketry,Perennial Workshop ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.fireflygathering.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/kudzu-basket-600x400-1.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR