A career switch from rocket science to broom making might seem uncommon, but it happened in Marlow Gates' family.

Broom making has been a family affair for Marlow Gates since his father, Ralph Gates, took up the craft when he quit his job with as an assistant software engineer for NASA.

"It was a glamorous job in the space industry, but required a lot of hours," said Marlow Gates, who later picked up the craft from his father.

Ralph took up the craft of broom making when he heard of a man in Tennessee who was in need of an apprentice to take over his business, and he made the decision to drastically change his lifestyle and his income by taking on the craft as his full-time job.

"It was something he could do with his hands," Marlow Gates said. "He was paid in the time he got to spend with his kids."

Marlow Gates will return to his usual spot at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts this year, in front of the Sackett Building to display his "functional art" just as his father did 30 years ago.

He said broom making seemed like a chore during his childhood, and he didn't plan to continue the tradition.

"I thought all other kids had to go home and make brooms after school," he said.

Marlow Gates now takes pride in his personal designs that reflect the beauty of the wood.

"I like to say nature does all the work," he said. "I just like to show it off."

He also specializes in the creation of wedding brooms, which he said are used in several cultures during a broom jumping part of the wedding ceremony.

Sean Wolfe, Class of 2006, is one of Marlow Gates' customers who has ordered a wedding broom and other customized pieces.

"We like the fact that it's art you can put your hands on," Wolfe said.

He added he likes that he owns brooms he doesn't have to hide in a closet, and he leaves them out where people can see them.

Marlow said even when his father started making brooms, there were few other broom makers, and they continue to die out.

"Now, it's mostly old guys who live up in the hills who make brooms, not professionals," he said.

He added that his ability to build up a clientele has helped him make living wages from this craft, and events like Arts Fest help.

"At shows like that, you'll see a hundred potters and a thousand jewelers, but only one or two broom makers," he said. "I don't think there are many people out there who look at a broom quite like we do."