About

Achla Designs, Fitchburg, MA

With our business based in Fitchburg since 1979, my husband, Ashok Hingorany, and I decided in 2003 to plan a fun, arts and culture-based festival to benefit the City of Fitchburg and celebrate the local community.

By collaborating with traditional blacksmiths in Europe to craft our products, we aim to revive interest in the craft and support modern blacksmiths working in the United States. After visiting events hosted by European guilds, we had a format to follow. That first year, we invited five of the blacksmiths working with us in Poland to put on a live demonstration. We had no idea how many talented metal artisans live here in New England! We soon got to know Bob Phillips, Debra Ash, and John Bombeck, all working blacksmiths, and with the city's support and local enthusiasm, they helped us launch the current festival format.

The festival is one of the few of its kind in the country, and we have been building on it each year. Competition at all levels is held throughout the day, with cash prizes awarded to winners. We have been introduced to many prominent, extremely skilled Blacksmiths, whom we have invited over the years to demonstrate their talents and judge the competition entries. As a permanent feature for Riverfront Park, where the event is held, we created the Life Around the River trellis, a “patchwork quilt” of forged square panels. Each panel is made in the artist's workshop ahead of the event, and all entries are added to the installation each year for everyone to enjoy year-round. Cash prizes and awards for the panels submitted.