SALADO, Texas — For 23 years, Gail Allard has been drawn to the fire.
"The moment you see that fire, the moment you see that glass just kind of freely moving and, and I gave it a shot and I fell in love with it," Allard, owner of Salado Glassworks in Salado, told 6 News. "It's been 23 years and every day I come in, I'm excited about making something new. Every time I grab a pipe, every time I have an opportunity to start something fresh and new, it's going to be something that I've never done before. Even if I've done it a hundred times, I'm never gonna be able to make the same thing over and over and over. So I love that part."
From pumpkins during the fall to Christmas ornaments in the winter to hearts at Valentine's, drinkware for St. Patrick's Day and more, Salado Glassworks offers events for family and friends to enjoy together.
"So we have two styles of events," Allard explained. "We have an ages three and up event and we have an ages 12 and up event. So three years old is kind of minimal participation, what we would let a three year old handle. So basically just blowing into the straw, but if you get into one of our 12 and up events, that's a lot more interaction. You're actually handling the pipe, you're dipping into the fire, you're doing all the cool stuff and it gives you a small glimpse of what it's like to be a glass blower for, you know, a little bit of your day."
The team at the shop is already like a family, but Allard is especially excited that his son is taking an interest in the art he loves so much.
"He has grown up here," Allard said. "I remember when I first got started, he was in the car seat by my bench and just, you know, watching and it's this natural transition for him to come in and say 'Dad, do you need any help?' I'm like, 'Yeah, buddy, you know, what do you wanna do?' And so he, when, especially during our busy season, he's out there when we're doing the Christmas ornaments and he wants to melt in the color for the people. So him being kind of at that age to where he really wants to help dad, I see this kind of generational thing starting to unfold, which I'm really excited about."
Allard the third could one day carry the torch...or pipe is more like it, but no matter what's in store, glass blowing allows you to live in the moment and create something precious.
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