Any carver or gourd artist who wishes may enter one or more pieces in the show competition for judging.
There are three wood carving levels: Novice, Advanced, and Expert, The gourd judging levels are Novice, Intermediate, Advanced and Master. The entrant chooses the level they feel they best fit into and then choose the category for the piece. Each piece is examined by show judges and may be awarded a blue, red, or white ribbon, based on the merit of the piece. All entries are on display during the show regardless of whether an award was given or not. All entries must remain on display until the end of the show at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. The following special awards for both wood carving and gourds are also presented, some with cash awards: 1st Best of Show, 2nd Best of Show, 3rd Best of Show, People’s Choice,
The 2023 Show was held May 20-21 with set-up on Friday, May 19. at The Scottish Rite Center at 6151 H Street, Sacramento, CA. The entry form can be downloaded here.
Typical Show Activities
Free woodcarving and gourd art classes and demonstrations are given during the show
Free tool sharpening is also available.
There is also a Silent Auction of donated items, many of them hand-carved.
There are also free hourly door prize drawings throughout the weekend. Our Grand Raffle Prize drawing is at the end of the show on Sunday. Wonderful wood hand-carvings and artistically decorated gourds are raffled. Tickets are on sale throughout the show hours and before the show.
Nelson Krouse and some of his carvings. Individual carvers have items on display throughout the weekend. Some items are for sale, and many are only for display.
We also have excellent and well-known exhibitors from around the country. These individuals supply high quality tools, books, and supplies to our woodcarvers and gourd artists.
Randy Moore of Moore Roughouts and Wood travels from North Dakota to our show every year.
The 2023 Show brought us back to our pre- COVID venue at Scottish Rite.
The 2022 Show Show was the 50th for the Capital Woodcarvers Association. As in the past several years we were joined by the Gourd Artist Patches in northern California. In was great to get tougher again after a two year absence due the the COVID pandemic.
The 2019 show was the last we held before the COVID pandemic shut things down
The 2014 CWA show was held on the weekend of May 3 and 4 at the Scottish Rite Center at 6151 H Street, Sacramento, CA. The show theme was: “Discover the Art of Woodcarving– Let us show you how.”
Capital Woodcarvers Association 