Historic Window Restoration Workshop – WindowFest + WindowLympics

Steve Quillian
Aug 24
4 min read

Students practicing their wood window sash restoration skills at a San Antonio, Texas Workshop

Dates: October 27 – November 7, 2025

Location: 1929 Hotel Seville • Harrison, Arkansas

Join us for a historic window restoration workshop in Harrison, Arkansas…

This fall we’re doing more than teaching techniques—we’re setting a table for a movement. WindowFest (our two-week workshop series) and the WindowLympics (our friendly-but-serious craft competitions) are coming to Harrison, Arkansas, and you’re invited to learn, compete, and belong.

Whether you’re a seasoned carpenter or a curious beginner with sawdust in your veins, these two weeks are designed to unite, equip, and send artisans back into their historic house communities with real capability—and real momentum.

What is WindowFest?

WindowFest is a dense, hands-on learning experience built around the Five Pillars of Window Craft. We’ll walk the work from Mechanics-to-Prime (M2P) through Strip-to-Glaze (S2G) and into the finishing and tuning phases—always with an eye on performance, protection, and long-term service to the home.

We’ve structured WindowFest so you can pick the track that matches your current level and your goals, then go deep:

Week 1 (Oct 27–31): Choose Your Track

Pick one of these parallel workshops (you’ll be fully immersed in your choice all week):

Intro to Sash Making (5-Day Intensive) Learn millwork fundamentals, mortise & tenon joinery, glazing rabbets, profiles, meeting rails, and divided lites. If you really want to level up, this is your foundation.
Basic Total Window Makeover Perfect for beginners. We focus on M2P and S2G fundamentals so you can truly set up a window to function like it did the day it was installed.
Advanced Sash Makeover For those ready to tackle complexity—multi-lite work, tighter tolerances, special profiles, and problem-solving under time pressure. Expect brain-fry Friday (in the best way).

Week 2 (Nov 3–7): Advanced Frame Edition

There’s one main track in Week 2, and it’s a beast (in a good way):

Advanced Total Window Makeover (Frame Edition) Rebuilds, full frame work, and the exacting setup that makes finishing possible. We’ll coordinate sash, moldings, parting beads, stops, stools, blind stops—then tune the entire system. If Week 1 is skill-building, Week 2 is system-building.

Our workshops prioritize M2P because that’s where everything begins to work or fails to. When the mechanics are right, finishing becomes protection—not cosmetics—and endurance follows.

What is the WindowLympics?

Think “jobsite-credible competitions” that sharpen skills and celebrate excellence. The WindowLympics run alongside WindowFest with events for different skill levels. We’ll run time-trials, quality checks, and head-to-head contests that test real-world craft:

Fast Sash (casement sash, double-hung sash, divided light sash)
Strip-to-Glaze Challenge
Glass-Cutting Competition
Screen-Frame Joinery (bridal joints + enclosed mortise and tenon)
Youth and crowd-friendly skill events (hand saw, mortising, nail-driving, etc.)

Prizes & Recognition

Winners will take home serious bragging rights—and serious tools. We’re lining up prize packages (Speedheater, ProScraper, sanders, and more), with a Grand Prize: a Sash Factory Router Table. Yes, really.

Who Should Come?

Aspiring Artisans who want a clear, proven path into real window work
Working Carpenters/Finishers ready to specialize and command more value
Leaders who want to build and manage teams in their historic house communities
Homeowners & Preservationists who want to understand what excellent work looks like—and why process matters

If you’ve felt that tug—the call to build, to serve, to preserve—this is your moment to step forward and get equipped.

Why Host A Historic Window Restoration Workshop In Arkansas? Why Now?

The 1929 Hotel Seville in Harrison, Arkansas is a wonderful venue

DeBecause the need is everywhere, and momentum is real. Harrison sits within reach of strong historic house communities, and the 1929 Hotel Seville gives us a beautiful base of operations. We’re gathering a remnant of artisan-spirited people and putting real tools in real hands. The vineyard doesn’t lie: either we produce good fruit or we don’t. These two weeks are about producing.

What You’ll Leave With

Tangible Skills you can repeat at home or on the job
A Playbook grounded in the Five Pillars—clear steps, clear standards
A Network of peers, mentors, and potential future teammates
Momentum—because you’ll have already done the work, not just talked about it

How to Participate

Register for a Workshop Track - Choose Intro to Sash Making, Basic TWM, or Advanced Sash for Week 1. If you’re ready for deeper system-level mastery, plan for Advanced Frame Edition in Week 2.
Enter the WindowLympics - Pick an event (or three). You’ll learn even more by testing your craft under the clock with quality checks on the other side.
Volunteer or Judge - If you’re a veteran in the trade (or just a solid organizer), we need your hands and wisdom. Help make this a career-defining experience for the next wave.
Sponsor - Toolmakers, lumber suppliers, paint and glazing partners—if you believe in building real capacity in the field, step in. We’ll spotlight you the right way: where the work is actually happening.

What to Bring

Your favorite hand tools (label them)
Work clothes, safety gear, and boots
A teachable spirit and a finisher’s mindset

We’ll provide the machines, materials, and the structure to do excellent work.

FAQs

Can beginners attend? Yes. Pick Intro to Sash Making or the Total Window Makeover. You’ll get the fundamentals without being thrown into the deep end—yet.

Can I attend only Week 2? If you already have strong fundamentals and want the system-level rebuild experience, yes. Many will do both for a complete arc.

Can I just compete? Absolutely. Enter the WindowLympics and jump into the community—then consider a workshop next time.

Is this a job fair? No. This is a craft fair—in the truest sense. We’re building artisans and leaders who can build teams and serve their communities for life.

The Heart Behind It

We believe craftsmanship is a calling. Paint is protection. Joinery is integrity. Finishing is covenant. Our aim is not to create hobbyists but to form stewards who can carry a trade that saves windows, honors houses, and strengthens neighborhoods.

If that resonates, then this is your place and these are your people.