One of the unique attributes of the Catawba Valley is the soil under our feet. For generations, the clay found near creek banks has been used to craft useful, sometimes ornate and always interesting pottery. This weekend, a special event in Hickory offers the opportunity to see some of the best creations as the Historical Association of Catawba County presents the Catawba Valley Pottery and Antiques Festival at the Hickory Metro and Convention Center.
The festival started back in 1994 as part of the Harvest Folk Festival, but four years later became a singular event held at the Metro Center, a fundraising opportunity to support the North Carolina Pottery Center and the Historical Association of Catawba County.
This year should be a good one. Booth space is sold out as area potters present their wares in a variety of unique shapes. Of course, you will see a lot of face jugs, a staple of the festival, but creations can take any number of forms, as you will see.
Photo: One of the more whimsical creations at the Catawba Valley Pottery Festival
This year’s special presentation will be by Mary Farrell, a potter from North Carolina’s other significant region for earthenware, Seagrove. She is known for producing traditional redware, salt-glazed stoneware, and green-glazed wares, often used in period films like “John Adams.” Mary and co-owner David Farrell will also display some of their work at the festival. As she says on her website, Mary is “inspired by the past.”
The pottery tradition goes way back. Near Vale, potters dug clay, molded it into practical containers, fired, glazed and fired it again for folks to eat off of and drink out of. However, once ‘store bought’ alternatives came into vogue, many crafters gave up the skill as demand dwindled. Had it not been for Burlon Craig, who kept the Catawba Valley tradition going in the 1960s and 70s, pottery making might have died out. Instead, a new generation of crafters, unwilling to let the art of handmade pottery lapse, learned from him and restarted the craft, anew.
The festival is a two day event. Hurry if you want Premier tickets for the Friday night opening. Admittance to an opening reception and first crack at everything the potters have for sale are worth the price. One year, I was photographing the event and was told that folks will run, not walk, to the booths of certain potters to be the first to buy. I had my doubts. And yet I saw zealous customers do just that. One of them was so popular that he sold out on Friday night. Fans of antiques will not be disappointed too since a number of vendors will be featuring one of a kind items that you can’t get anywhere else.
Get your tickets for the Friday night event ($50) or Saturday’s general admission ($10/ Children $5) at catawbavalleypotteryfestival.com. The Friday party starts at 6pm with doors opening to buy at 7. Saturday hours are from 9am to 5pm and that day you can also get tickets at the door.
If you have never been, come on out and enjoy a modern take on a Catawba Valley tradition. If this isn’t your first festival you know to bring your running shoes.
