SUNY Oswego's annual Festival of Fire -- a collaboration between the Department of Technology and the Department of Art and Design, brings an opportunity to heat up creativity on Friday, Oct. 17. 

This event, running 1 to 5 p.m. outside of Tyler Hall, is free and open to all. The campus community is invited to come, watch, make something and get a sweet treat.

The Festival of Fire will feature two main events -- a ceramic Pit-Firing and an Iron Pour.

Pit-firing is the oldest form of firing pottery and ceramics, organizers said. Unfired clay pots and sculptures are placed into a pit in the ground. Then a bonfire is created over it and sustained throughout the day. The fire transforms the ceramics and creates interesting and unpredictable surface decoration.

For the Iron Pour, recycled scrap iron is heated to almost 3,000 degrees until liquefied. Then, the liquid iron is poured into molds to create new and original sculptures and designs. 

Scratch plates, a means to easily create iron plaques, will be available for the anyone to have their own idea cast in iron.

Additionally, the Office of Sustainability will present a maple-sugar activity.  

The event helps kick off SUNY Oswego's annual Family and Friends Weekend, Oct. 17 to 19. Watch for more information on this annual tradition in future Oswego Today editions.