WAYLAND, Michigan — Ready, set, FORGE! The Great Lakes Rendezvous returns to Wayland this weekend.
It's an event that allows people the opportunity to explore the local world of forging knives and blades.
Organizers say they expect many people to travel to the event to participate.
The event, now in its second year, will include knife forging demos, food trucks, special guests from the show "Forged in Fire" and the opportunity for people to create their own blades out of a horseshoe. There will also be vendor booths selling everything from handcrafted blades to leatherworks.
Shawn Moulenbelt, a "Forged in Fire" contestant and owner of 51 Bravo Custom Knives, said the Great Lakes Rendezvous was started in 2023 to introduce more people to the hobby.
"Something about the knife community, everybody's real welcoming and they like to share, so we wanted to share with the general public kind of what we do, and meet some of the people that are suppliers, that type of thing," he said.
Moulenbelt said forging blades is an art form that highlights each individual forgers' artistry.
"That's one of the things that I like about the knife community, there's so many different directions you can go to express your creativity," Moulenbelt said. "There's no real right and wrong way to do it."
Moulenbelt said you don't need to be a blade enthusiast to enjoy the Great Lakes Rendezvous.
The event is Saturday, July 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 51 Bravo Custom Knives, 1496 138th Ave in Wayland. You can find more details on tickets by clicking here.