(Photo by Douglass Huxley) Dan Lipscomb, owner of DanMade Knives and Blacksmith, gives three-year-old Bowen Lamp an arrow head Saturday at 35th Annual Volcano Days held at Mountwood Park.

WALKER — Mountwood Park was bustling with activity this past weekend as the 35th annual Volcano Days festival brought together over 120 vendors and crafters, live demonstrations and a record number of hit-and-miss engines.

“We’ve had more hit and miss engines there this year than we’ve ever had, so that was one of the big things here this year,” Wood County Parks Director Jeremy Cross said. “It’s one of the old engines that they used to pump the oil with. You can use one of those hit-and-miss engines with a cable system to pump over 40 oil wells at one time, and that’s kind of what Volcano was known for.”

The festival commemorates the oil and gas history of the area as well as the oil boom town of Volcano which was home to 2,300 people before the town burned down in August 1879.

Visitors enjoyed a variety of attractions, including handmade goods, sawmill demonstrations and blacksmiths demonstrating their craft.

One of those blacksmiths was Dan Lipscomb, owner of DanMade Knives and Blacksmith. He has attended the festival for all of its history.

(Photo by Douglass Huxley) People gathered at Mountwood Park Saturday for the 35th Annual Volcano Days. The event, which celebrates the oil and gas history of the area, featured over 120 vendors and crafters for those in attendance to visit.

“I’m here because I like history and I like stuff the old way,” Lipscomb said. “Our forge is from 1903–it cost $65 new, and sells for about $1,200 today,”

Lipscomb had demonstrations with his forge and even allowed visitors to try out blacksmithing for themselves.

“There was a young girl that came through here, about 15-years-old… she was so interested, and her mom and dad and I just made an instant connection,” he said. “We even had several young men come over and actually hammer and make some things.”

Lipscomb said this was his fifth year at the event as a vendor and it was the people that kept him coming back.

“People are actually friendly here, very friendly,” he said. “And to be honest with you, I love the people that are in this park. They are down to Earth people.”

(Photo by Douglass Huxley) People stop to look at washing machines from the early 1900s Saturday at Mountwood Park for the 35th Annual Volcano Days.

Lipscomb said he is on Facebook with information about his business.

Despite some rain on Friday, Cross said attendance was strong on Saturday.

“The attendance was really high today,” Cross said. “It was down a little bit (Friday), but the people that didn’t come (Friday), I think, came out to park (Saturday). So it was a really busy Saturday.”

The event was free to the public, with donations being accepted throughout the event that go right back into the event.

“We don’t charge anything, because we want everybody to be able to experience it,” Cross said. “We do accept donations, and 100% of those donations go back to the show for next year.”

(Photo by Douglass Huxley) A climbing wall and bounce house could be found at Mountwood Park Saturday for visitors to use during the 35th Annual Volcano Days.

Planning for that next event is already underway.

“We start now for next year. It’s a 365 day event for us here at Mountwood,” Cross said, hinting at new additions and improvements thanks to increased support and partnerships, especially with the Wood County Flywheelers.

A highlight this year was the new addition to the park’s museum.

“We’ve had record numbers of people visit our museum,” Cross said.

As Volcano Days drew to a close this weekend, there was a spirit of tradition and community that is alive and well, thanks to those who are eager to share their craft and their stories, Cross said.

“There’ll be some new stuff for next year, for sure,” he said.