More than 100 ceramic artists from around the Charlotte area will set up shop at McAlpine Business Park on Monroe Road this Saturday for the Fall Pottery Festival, an outdoor marketplace blending hobbyist and professional potters with food trucks, florists and live music for a full day of browsing clay work. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 8300 Monroe Road, with free admission and free onsite parking, including dedicated handicap spots.
The Saturday date is actually a reschedule. The festival was originally set for October 10 but got pushed back a week amid inclement weather and regional storm impacts that raised safety concerns for the outdoor event, according to organizers at Carolina Clay Matters. The move was meant to protect the ceramic displays that artists bring outdoors for the all-day market.
Carolina Clay Matters, the guild behind the festival, marked its 30th anniversary in 2024. Its sale is held semi-annually, and the Fall Pottery Festival takes place at McAlpine Business Park. The guild also offers educational meetings and workshops.
Potters Share the Process Behind the Pieces
Among the artists expected to discuss their work and sell ceramic pieces are Taylor Stone and Kait Kelsey. Stone told WCNC that pottery takes patience and time, and that things can go wrong in the process, while also noting that festival projects vary widely even though artists are all working with the same medium and materials. Kelsey said working with clay requires diligence and continued learning, adding that she especially enjoys incorporating color into her pieces.
Beyond the pottery tables, the festival includes food vendors, coffee, flowers and live music, turning the market into an all-day community gathering rather than just a pottery sale, the guild notes. Visitors who register for a free ticket online and check in at the information table before 1 p.m. are entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card to spend with festival vendors that day.
A Cause Tied to Western North Carolina's Recovery
A platter honors Western North Carolina's recovery after Hurricane Helene, with a portion of proceeds supporting regional artists.
Monroe Road Advocates has hosted a free Shakespeare event at the McAlpines Center, as described on its Shakespeare event page.
Part of a Bigger Statewide Pottery Moment
The timing lines up with a broader spotlight on North Carolina's ceramic arts tradition. The state's pottery heritage is being celebrated nationally in 2026 through Handwork 2026, a semiquincentennial craft initiative led by Craft in America, as Hoodline previously reported. Charlotte also hosts the annual Potters Market at the Mint at Mint Museum Randolph each fall, a single-day showcase and museum fundraiser drawing more than 55 top potters from across the state, giving the region two major ceramic markets within the same season.
Attendees heading to Saturday's festival can follow @carolinaclaymatters on Instagram for updates, and organizers are framing the rescheduled date as a chance to meet Charlotte-area artists and shop their work in person, from first-time hobbyist potters to seasoned guild members marking more than three decades of community building.
