NWTC Welding Rodeo - Sturgeon Bay Campus
Get ready for the NWTC Welding Rodeo, an exciting event at our Sturgeon Bay campus that you won't want to miss! The best part? It's completely FREE and open to everyone!
The 2025 theme is Celestial Sparks: Welding Among the Stars.
Look to the skies for inspiration on creating a masterpiece inspired by the galaxy above. We're bringing the beauty of celestial skies to life - one weld at a time.
The day-long event includes:
- Welding competitions - see below for more details
- Live auction of finished sculptures to support NWTC scholarships
- STEM career fair with local industry employers, NWTC staff
- Family activities, food, and music
Schedule of Events
Thursday, October 9, 2025
- 7-7:30 a.m.: Mandatory pre-event safety meeting for ALL welding competition participants
- 8:00 a.m..: Welding competition begins
- 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.: Career fair
- 12:30-4:30 p.m.: Public viewing of welding competition
- 3:00-6:00 p.m.: Food trucks and vendors; music, games and activities
- 4:00-4:30 p.m.: Conclusion of competition and sculpture judging
- 4:30-5:00 p.m.: Winners announced and prizes given
- 5:00 p.m.: Live sculpture auction
Competition Overview & Rules
Welding teams (up to 4 welders) have 8 hours to build a sculpture from donated scrap metal materials. Sculptures must incorporate a designated theme with a maximum 5’ x 5’ x 5’ finished size. Sign up to compete.
A panel of three judges including welding instructors, artists, and industry professionals will judge the completed sculptures based on:
- Aesthetics
- Workmanship
- Durability and safety
- Appropriateness for public display
Prizes awarded for each category – amateur (high school and college), professional, and corporate team welders – to be announced at 4:30 p.m. on the day of the event.
Sculpture Auction Details
The sculptures produced during the contest are the property of NWTC and will be auctioned to the highest bidder on the day of the event. The proceeds will benefit welding scholarships and event sustainability.
- Completed sculptures from welding rodeo will be sold to the highest bidders.
- Maximum dimensions of each sculpture are 5 feet wide by 5 feet high by 5 feet deep.
- Auction is open to the public.
- All money raised will benefit NWTC welding student scholarships.
- Payment due at time of auction.
- All sculptures need to stay on campus at NWTC Sturgeon Bay for one week following the event.
- Winning bidders are responsible for picking up and transporting the sculptures by contacting Michelle Rutues, NWTC event coordinator, at michelle.rutues@nwtc.edu or 920-272-9459.
Employer Career Fair & Donation Info
If you are an employer interested in attending the Career Fair or donating scrap metal, supplies, or sponsoring the welding rodeo please contact Michelle Rutues: michelle.rutues@nwtc.edu or 920-272-9459 or use the links below.
Call for Artists & Artist Advisors
The Welding Rodeo combines metal arts, hands-on welding, and live competition, creating a unique opportunity for artists to engage with the public and the trades. We are currently seeking artists to:
- Sell their work in our Metal Arts Market
- Serve as paid Artist Advisors to competition teams
- Or participate in both roles.
Get more details or sign up to participate.
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: Friday, August 23, 2025
- Notification of Selection: Friday, September 6, 2025
The Welding Rodeo: Experiences in STEM Education is sponsored by the Department of Navy, Office of Naval Research under ONR award number N00014-24-1-2151. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Naval Research.