Woodworkers of all ages are branching out with their creations for Whidbey’s biggest wood-related event on Labor Day weekend.

Woodpalooza returns to Zech Hall in the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts 12-5 p.m. on Aug. 31 to Sept. 2. A total of 16 artists are participating in this year’s show, which has reached a major milestone of 20 years.

The annual event has come a long way from its humble beginnings in the second story of the Bayview Cash Store. Hosted by the Whidbey Island Woodworkers Guild, the show is a chance for the public to see what wood artists are carving.

Gary Leake, secretary of the guild, said one of the organization’s goals is to foster the continuation of woodworking as a career and hobby.

“Paramount is to encourage anyone who has a skill set to share it as well,” he said. “Keeping the tradition alive to counter the ‘IKEA’ alternative that comes disassembled and with a metric Allen wrench is important, not only to members of the guild, but artisans in general.”

Though many of the guild’s members are approaching their golden years, there are some youngsters in the bunch who are eager to find “new blood” to join.

This week, Glen Pearson of Clinton was busy sanding the epoxy coating he applied to a twisted and gnarled piece of maple he affectionately referred to as a burn pile rescue. He saved the wood from its demise while visiting Shaw Island, where he found it.

For Pearson, showcasing his art at Woodpalooza is a dream come true.

“Everybody’s work is different from each other, so there’s no sense of competition amongst ourselves,” he said. “Everyone is there to support each other and the thing they love to make.”

He’s been involved in the show every year since 2017.

“You could take this work anywhere in the country and be really proud of it,” he said.

He has appreciated the Whidbey Island Woodworkers Guild for providing camaraderie, friendship, support and collective knowledge. But getting other young people to join, in an age where self-promotion proliferates on social media, is the hard part.

“The guild was formed so that there’d be community, and now people move their communities online,” he said. “It’s not the same.”

Kelly Cameron, also of Clinton, has been involved with the guild since 2013 and finally had the time this year to show some of his more experimental work at Woodpalooza.

The owner of Turnco Wood Goods, Cameron is looking forward to presenting a mirror, wall art, and variations on his tried-and-true storage jars. He recently decided to take his woodworking in a new direction, which he hopes catches some eyes at Woodpalooza.

“There’s a lot of neat things to look at there every year,” he said.

He encouraged any aspiring woodworker to consider joining the guild.

Others, like Brad Husby of Greenbank, are newcomers to displaying at the show. Another member of the guild urged him to participate in Woodpalooza this year for the first time.

He’s looking forward to bringing lidded boxes and fluted bowls, items that he created with his lathe.

As part of Woodpalooza’s 20th celebration, there will be a Friday night reception for the artists to kick off the weekend.

“If you’re a woodworker on Whidbey Island, that’s kind of where you want to be,” Pearson said. “It’s the equivalent of going to an opening gala.”

As usual, entry to Woodpalooza is free. Visit woodpalooza.com or wicaonline.org for more details.

Clinton woodworker Glen Pearson with “Still Standing,” a burn pile rescue he found on Shaw Island. (Photo by Kira Erickson/South Whidbey Record)