A star-studded lineup of celebrity guests will attend the festival for guests to meet. Headlining this year’s festival will be Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid star and outdoor survivalist Melissa Miller (Melissa Backwoods). Miller came to recognition after appearing on Discovery Channel's primitive survival challenge reality show Naked and Afraid. She is also well-known for her knife and gear reviews on social media. Melissa graduated with a teaching degree from The University of Michigan. She became an environmental educator in Michigan's largest park system, teaching nature education and wilderness survival.
Melissa's interest and knowledge in wilderness survival led to her being cast on Discovery Channel's Naked and Afraid for three seasons. She successfully completed all three challenges in the Amazon Jungle (21 days), the South African Selati Basin (40 days), and the Florida Swamplands (21 days). She primitively survived with nothing but a knife and one other survival item.
Melissa's passion for wilderness survival progressed into a passion for blades. She began reviewing knives in 2017 on her Instagram channel and Facebook. In 2018, she became the social media manager and digital marketing director for the world's leading knife publication, BLADE Magazine, and the world's largest knife show series, BLADE Show.
Melissa now focuses her efforts on her social media, creating videos reviewing knives and gear. She can be found on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok as @MelissaBackoods.
Festival guests will also be able to meet History Channel's Forged in Fire stars Jason Knight and Doug Marcaida. Knight, a mastersmith, is known among custom makers and collectors as an innovator. He is a master of blade design and edge geometry. His influence is widespread in the knife industry and is reflected in the work of many he has mentored over the past twenty years. Jason understands the value of sharing his skills and ideas with other makers. Through full-length "How To" videos he has written and directed, teaching in his studio and at schools around the country, Jason shares his passion for knifemaking and fans that spark into flame in others.
Doug Marcaida is a military veteran who served in the United States Air Force for eight years and then pursued a career as a respiratory therapist for twenty years, all the while teaching and honing his skills as a Filipino martial artist. Marcaida developed his own style of Filipino martial arts called Marcaida Kali. He travels throughout the United States and the world, teaching first responders and military personnel the foundations of his beloved art. He is also an edged weapon combat specialist who designs some of the world’s deadliest blades. As a highly skilled martial artist who has studied fighting styles and techniques worldwide, Doug is known as a walking encyclopedia on the evolution of weapons of war.
The festival will be held throughout the City of Washington, including the James Black School of Bladesmithing and Historic Trades, the W.P.A. Gymnasium, Washington Pavilion, the Old Town Square, and the midway area near the 1874 Hempstead County Courthouse.
Admission is free. Parking for the festival will be $5.00.
For more information, call 870-648-5084 or visit facebook.com/visitwashingtonar.
Pictured: Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid reality TV star and outdoor survivalist Melissa Miller, aka Melissa Backwoods, will be a special celebrity guest at this year’s festival.
Pictured: History Channel’s Forged in Fire judge Jason Knight will be a special celebrity guest at this year’s festival.