The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia will host the 12th annual Folk Pottery Show & Arts Festival on Saturday, Sept. 5.
The event is planned for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sautee Nacoochee Center, where the museum is located. Admission to the festival, the Folk Pottery Museum and other areas will be free that same day.
Festival-goers will have the opportunity to check out the pottery and artwork of 20 different vendors and Northeast Georgia folk potters, whose tents will be spread across the lawn of the SNC campus. Visitors will find the festival’s raffles prizes in the Community Hall.
This year’s festival features the live music of Bittersweet on the outdoor stage. Bittersweet plays a mix of bluegrass, gospel and old-time. The group is made up of locals Steve Whelsch on fiddle, Chris Coker on guitar, Debbielee Whelchel on banjo and vocals and Joe Whelchel on mandolin.
The Folk Pottery Museum currently features the work of Gillsville-based potter Mike Craven, whose family’s folk pottery traditions date back to the early 1700s. It is a retrospective exhibit of Craven’s work from 1970 to present.
Additionally, the African-American Heritage Site and the Cultural Center, located on the SNC campus, will welcome visitors. The Heritage Site features a restored slave cabin from the Northeast Georgia mountains. It will be staffed by docents along with a blacksmith demonstrating on an open forge. In the Cultural Center, festival-goers may visit the local history museum and two gallery shops featuring work by Northeast Georgia artists in a variety of media.
Ensuring the safety of visitors and vendors is an important element of the festival. While the festival is free, all visitors must check in at the entrances to the festival grounds. Temperatures will be checked and contact information will be recorded. Food will not be available to purchase, however, the festival program will list local restaurants. Hand sanitizer stations will be located across the grounds. Public spaces, such as restrooms, will be regularly sanitized. Social distancing is recommended, and masks are encouraged.
The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia is at 283 Ga. 255 North, a quarter-mile north of the intersection with Ga. 17. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for children. Discounts are offered to members of the military and teachers with identification. Admission to the museum will be free the day of the festival. For more information, visit www.folkpotterymuseum.com or call 706-878-3300.