For Immediate Release August 2026
Media Contact: Robin Hahn, President River Valley Wood Carvers Robinhahn@fuse.net
Cold Spring, KY — August 2026 — The River Valley Wood Carvers (RVWC), a 501(c)(7) nonprofit serving the Greater Cincinnati region, will host the Ohio Valley Woodcarvers Expo 2026 on September 26 and 27, 2026, at the Elks Lodge Facility in Cold Spring, Kentucky. The two-day event brings together some of the region’s most accomplished wood carvers and wood burning artists for a weekend of live demonstrations, juried competition, and stunning hand-crafted artwork — all open to the public for a $5 donation at the door. Beyond the artistry, the Expo serves as the hub for RVWC’s three signature community missions: the Holiday Ornament Program, which delivers hand-carved ornaments each Christmas to children in inner-city schools and foster care across the Cincinnati metro area; Hearts for Hope, a new initiative through which club members hand-carve decorative wooden hearts to benefit the American Cancer Society’s fight against cancer; and a new Youth Education Program, through which club members begin teaching wood carving to school-age children through 4-H and in-school instruction each September — just weeks before the Expo opens its doors.
ABOUT THE EXPO
The Ohio Valley Woodcarvers Expo is the signature annual event of the River Valley Wood Carvers and one of the most distinctive arts showcases in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky. Held over two full days at the Elks Lodge Facility in Cold Spring, KY, the 2026 Expo promises an immersive experience for arts enthusiasts, families, and curious newcomers alike.
Attendees will move through rows of breathtaking finished pieces — wildlife sculptures, detailed relief panels, expressive figures, and intricate wood burning artwork — each one the product of hours of patient, skilled craftsmanship. Live carving demonstrations run throughout the weekend, offering visitors a rare, up-close look at master carvers transforming raw wood into art in real time. The soft sound of gouges and knives at work, the clean scent of fresh wood shavings, and the quiet concentration of artists fully absorbed in their craft create an atmosphere unlike any other arts event in the region.
Competition judging adds an element of excitement, with regional carvers vying for recognition across multiple categories. Vendor booths offer tools, supplies, and finished pieces, and a wide variety of hand-carved and hand-burned artwork will be available for purchase directly from the artists who made them — one-of-a-kind, handcrafted pieces that cannot be found anywhere else. Door prizes create additional buzz on the floor throughout both days. Admission is just a $5 donation at the door — an extraordinarily affordable entry point for a full weekend of world-class craft, making the Expo an ideal outing for families, art lovers, and anyone curious about one of America’s great folk art traditions. That $5 goes directly to supporting RVWC’s community programs throughout the year. Whether a visitor is a seasoned collector, a hobbyist, or someone who has never picked up a carving tool, the Expo delivers a weekend of genuine discovery and inspiration.
GIVING BACK TO GREATER CINCINNATI
At the heart of the Ohio Valley Woodcarvers Expo is a mission that goes far beyond the show floor. The 2026 Expo serves as the official launch event for RVWC’s Holiday Ornament Program — one of the most personal and meaningful community initiatives in the Greater Cincinnati region.
Each year, club members set aside their own time and materials to hand-carve approximately 200 individual holiday ornaments. No two are exactly alike. Each one is shaped, detailed, and finished by hand — a small but deeply human act of giving. Every December, those ornaments are delivered free of charge to children in inner-city schools and children living in foster care in Northern Kentucky, and young adults in with disabilities working in Indiana ensuring that kids who might otherwise go without receive something beautiful, handmade, and entirely their own during the Christmas season.
The Expo weekend is where that journey begins — where carvers sign on for another year of giving, where plans are laid, and where the community comes together around a shared purpose. Visitors to the Expo will also find hand-carved Christmas ornaments available for purchase — each one a unique, handmade keepsake. It is a profound way for club members to participate — a hand-carved ornament carried to a child who needs it most for the holiday. For broadcast journalists, this is a story of artistry in service of compassion: skilled hands at work not just to create, but to care.
HEARTS FOR HOPE — CARVING FOR A CURE
The River Valley Wood Carvers have recently launched Hearts for Hope, a new outreach program in which club members hand-carve decorative wooden hearts, with all proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society. The program grew out of the club’s connection to the Teal Run, a Greater Cincinnati event dedicated to raising awareness and funds in the fight against ovarian cancer.
In a story that illustrates the power of community connection, club associate Jessica Gilbert — herself an ovarian cancer survivor — introduced the River Valley Wood Carvers to the Teal Run organization. The club now participates in the Teal Run by displaying and selling Hearts for Hope carvings at the event, using that platform to both support cancer research and promote the upcoming Ohio Valley Woodcarvers Expo.
Hearts for Hope carvings will be available for purchase at the Expo, with 50% of all proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society. But perhaps the most moving element of the program is its dedication option: attendees may make a special request to have a hand-carved heart dedicated and donated in honor of a loved one — a cancer patient fighting the disease, a survivor who has come through it, or someone lost to it. That heart, shaped by a local artisan’s hands and carrying the name of someone deeply loved, becomes a tribute, a memorial, or a message of hope — placed into the world as an act of remembrance and solidarity. For TV and radio producers, few images are more powerful: a hand-carved wooden heart, made by a neighbor, bearing a name, given in love. This is the kind of moment that anchors a broadcast segment and stays with an audience long after the story ends.
GROWING THE NEXT GENERATION — YOUTH EDUCATION THROUGH 4-H AND SCHOOLS
The River Valley Wood Carvers are passionate not just about practicing their craft, but about passing it on. Beginning in September — just weeks before the 2026 Expo — club members will take their tools into classrooms and 4-H programs, teaching school-age children the fundamentals of wood carving in a hands-on, mentored environment.
The program pairs experienced carvers with young students, introducing them to safety, technique, and the patience required to transform a simple block of wood into something beautiful. For many children, it will be their first encounter with a traditional American folk art form that has been practiced for generations.
For broadcast producers, this is a story with immediate visual appeal: seasoned craftspeople guiding young hands through their very first cuts, the look of concentration and then pride when a child holds up something they made themselves. It is the kind of moment that speaks for itself on camera.
“The Expo is our moment to show Greater Cincinnati what this art form truly is — not a relic, but a living craft practiced by incredibly talented people right here in our community. When you watch a carver at work, when you see a finished piece up close, it stops you. There’s a humanity to it that’s hard to put into words. And knowing that those same hands will spend the next two months carving ornaments for kids who need a little extra joy this Christmas — that’s what makes this event unlike anything else on the calendar.”
— Robin Hahn, President, River Valley Wood Carvers
“For twenty-seven years, this club has stood for excellence in the craft and service to our neighbors. Today that mission runs deeper than ever. We’re carving ornaments for children who need a little extra joy at Christmas, carving hearts to help fight ovarian cancer, and now carving out time to put tools in the hands of the next generation through our schools and 4-H programs. Every one of those missions starts right here, at this Expo. We hope Greater Cincinnati will come out, see what we’re made of, and help us keep building on that legacy.”
— Robin Hahn, President, River Valley Wood Carvers
SUPPORT THE ARTS — SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The Ohio Valley Woodcarvers Expo 2026 offers a meaningful opportunity for businesses and individuals to invest in arts, culture, and community in Greater Cincinnati. RVWC welcomes financial sponsors at three levels, as well as product donations for use as competition awards and raffles.
To inquire about product donations or sponsorship details, contact:
Robin Hahn, President — Robinhahn@fuse.net
MEDIA OPPORTUNITY
Attention TV and Radio Producers: The Ohio Valley Woodcarvers Expo 2026 is a ready-made broadcast story — two stories, in fact.
• Visually compelling B-roll: Wood shavings curling from a blade, masterful hands guiding a gouge, finished sculptures that command a second look — the Expo floor is a cinematographer’s showcase from open to close.
• Live demonstration access: Carvers working in real time welcome cameras and offer natural, unscripted moments of craftsmanship that translate powerfully to screen.
• A genuine human-interest story: The Holiday Ornament Program — skilled artisans voluntarily spending months hand-carving keepsakes for children in foster care and inner-city schools — is a December evergreen waiting to be told. The Expo is where that story starts.
• Carver interviews: RVWC members represent a wide range of backgrounds, experience levels, and artistic styles. Compelling interview subjects are available before, during, and after the event.
• Hearts for Hope — a cancer survivor’s story: Club member Jessica Gilbert, an ovarian cancer survivor, introduced RVWC to the Teal Run — a Greater Cincinnati event fighting ovarian cancer. The club now sells hand-carved wooden hearts at the Teal Run to benefit the American Cancer Society. A survivor-led mission told through art: this is a natural fit for morning shows and community spotlights.
• Youth education — the next generation picks up the tool: Beginning in September, just weeks before the Expo, experienced carvers take their tools into classrooms and 4-H programs to teach school-age children wood carving for the very first time. Producers could follow a student from their first lesson in September all the way through the Expo in October — a two-part local news story that practically tells itself.
• Dedication stories — a name carved in wood, given in love: Both the Holiday Ornament Program and Hearts for Hope offer attendees the opportunity to request a hand-carved piece dedicated in honor of a loved one — a child in foster care receives an ornament bearing a cherished name, or a hand-carved heart is given as a tribute to a cancer patient, survivor, or someone lost to the disease. The image of that request being honored — a local artisan’s hands carving a tribute, and the moment it is placed into someone else’s — is exactly the kind of closing moment that anchors a TV segment. Producers are encouraged to seek out these dedication stories and share them with their audiences.
Producers interested in coordinating event coverage, scheduling a pre-event interview, or arranging early access for a feature segment are encouraged to contact Robin Hahn directly: Robinhahn@fuse.net
About River Valley Wood Carvers
The River Valley Wood Carvers (RVWC) is a 501(c)(7) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 and based in Taylor Mill, Kentucky. The club promotes, teaches, and practices the arts of wood carving and wood burning across the Greater Cincinnati metropolitan area, serving members and communities throughout southern Ohio and northern Kentucky. RVWC hosts the annual Ohio Valley Woodcarvers Expo each October and coordinates three primary community outreach initiatives: the Holiday Ornament Program, through which club members hand-carve approximately 200 ornaments each year for delivery to children in inner-city schools and foster care during the Christmas season; Hearts for Hope, through which hand-carved wooden hearts are sold to benefit the American Cancer Society’s and support the fight against cancer; and a Youth Education Program that places club members in 4-H groups and school classrooms each September to teach wood carving to the next generation. For more information, contact Robinhahn@fuse.net.
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