Taking our Show on the Road!

Taking our Show on the Road!

For the past 18 years we have been performing and demonstrating at the Michigan Renaissance Festival. On a stage that is not a complete glassblowing studio, but has all the equipment needed to perform a glassblowing show and demonstration to the public. After many years of doing this, for seven weekends each fall season, we thought why not take that equipment on the road. Put it on a trailer and go to other locations and demonstrate our craft as well as educate our customers so they completely understand what and how we do what we do.

We started by loading the equipment onto a trailer with a forklift and hauling it all over Michigan to Breweries and other event related venues. It wasn’t easy and surely wasn’t a complete mobile glassblowing unit but we made it work and had a lot of fun doing it. We did this for quite some time, maybe 7 or 8 years, and saw the value. The people we educated and entertained loved the performances and after seeing what we did they were motivated to come to Dearborn to the Glass Academy and get the full experience.

In the beginning of these performances we thought it was all about selling glass at each particular venue. Sure it helps when you sell a bunch of glass and bring home some sales. But what we started to realize was the huge value in bringing those customers back to our home studio. Just showing them what we were all about couldn’t have been a better marketing tool. Community, this is what its all about.

After almost 10 years of hard work and sweat, the Glass Academy team has decided to invest in a real mobile glassblowing studio because of the value we have learned. This year, in 2019, we purchased our new mobile hot shop and used in it in Ann Arbor for our 7th Annual Harvest Festival in the Kerrytown Farmers Market. What a success!

We'll be out on the road with this unit much more in 2020 and are looking forward to having many educational performances all over Michigan. If you or someone you know would like a quote to have our mobile glassblowing show at your event or brewery, please give us a call at the Glass Academy at 313-561-4527.

Keep your eyes open for the hottest show on wheels in your neighborhood this upcoming year!

Chris

Back to blog

Leave a comment