The 13th annual Catawba Valley Pottery & Antiques Festival

The 13th annual Catawba Valley Pottery & Antiques
Festival is scheduled for March 26 & 27, 2010, at the
Hickory Metro Convention Center in Hickory, NC
(located at Exit 125 off I-40). The Friday night preview
party is from 7-10PM and includes an early buying
opportunity with a catered Southern Supper and live
music. Tickets are $40 and must be purchased by March
19 (call 828-322-3943). Hours for Saturday are from
9AM-5PM; admission for adults is $6 and for children
12 and under, $2.
An important fundraiser for the North Carolina Pottery
Center and the Catawba County Historical Society, the
Pottery Festival focuses on Southern traditional pottery,
offering both sales and educational features. A total
of 112 dealers will be present, a mix of both
contemporary potters and antique dealers. The potters
focus on functional wares, face jugs, figurals, and forms
linked to the Southern tradition. Antique dealers will
offer pots and other items that complement and give
context to traditional pottery.
The educational component of the Festival, including
an exhibit and lecture, changes each year. For 2010
Dr. Steve Compton, a noted pottery collector and
scholar, will deliver an illustrated lecture on “North
Carolina Earthenware” on Saturday morning at 11AM.
And the exhibit will feature rare pieces of lead glazed
earthenware from across the Piedmont region of North
Carolina. Other educational events on Saturday include
a pottery identification clinic, pottery demonstrations
on the wheel, and videos about pottery making which
will be shown throughout the day.