Over 20 Chainsaw Carvers Are Heading to Eureka Springs for the 21st Annual Carving in the Ozarks
Carving in the Ozarks returns to The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs, held in memory of founder David “Sleepy” Blankenship. This year’s event brings together top chainsaw artists from across the country to carve live all weekend, with finished pieces available for purchase and a live auction on Saturday.
THE DEETS
📅 Friday, April 24 – Saturday, April 25, 2026
🕙 Friday: Carving 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Saturday: Carving 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Live Auction: Saturday at 4:00 PM
📍 The Great Passion Play, 935 Passion Play Rd, Eureka Springs, AR
🎟️ Free parking and admission
🔗 More info
The Carvers
The event brings together over 20 professional chainsaw carvers from across the country, each transforming raw logs into finished sculptures live and in real time. The range of work spans detailed wildlife carvings to bold, imaginative pieces, and you can watch the entire process from the first cut to the final details.
Here’s a look at some of the carvers on the lineup.
Jeff Banning (Louisville, TN) has been carving for 11 years. His most memorable piece is a life-size crucifix. At this year’s event he’ll be carving a wildlife piece and a humorous carving inspired by a very familiar toy.
Antonio Gutierrez (Kansas City, MO) has been carving for over five years and brings a sharp eye for pieces that make people stop and look twice.
Todd Whited of Critter Carvings (Early, TX) has been at it for 30 years, carved what he calls “a million bears,” and was once commissioned for a 10-foot mascot dog for a Subaru dealership. Bears are still his favorite.
Steven Higgins of Family Tree Carvings (Overland Park, KS) has been carving for 30 years, with 25 of those spent competing. His most memorable piece is a carved oak sculpture created in Thalendorf, Germany to mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s declaration. Bears are his go-to, but he thinks big.
Chauncey Poe of Elite Carving (Altamont, KS) is fully self-taught. Eagles used to intimidate him, so he mastered them. Expect to see him carving eagles on-site across both days.
More Than Just the Carving
Food trucks and local vendors are on-site all weekend. Finished carvings are available for purchase throughout the event, and the live auction on Saturday at 4:00 PM is the main event for anyone looking to bring a one-of-a-kind piece home.
The event is supported by the Eureka Springs CAPC and Soap Stop and Body Shop. Make the drive to Eureka Springs and watch raw logs turn into finished art in real time.
