2026 Fun for Kids at the Minnesota Pottery Festival
The Minnesota Pottery Festival is for pottery lovers of every age—including the ones who still think getting muddy is the whole point.
Bring the kids to Masonic West River Park in Hutchinson for a free weekend filled with clay, live demonstrations, friendly competition, food, and plenty of room to explore.
Get Their Hands in the Clay
The Kids’ Station gives children of all ages a chance to work with clay and take home a creation of their own.
No pottery experience is required. Making something slightly lopsided is not only allowed—it is part of the tradition.
Watch Potters in Action
Many children have seen finished mugs and bowls, but they may never have watched a potter shape clay on a wheel or transform a plain surface with pattern, texture, and color.
At 11 a.m. Saturday, participating potters Alysha Baier and Karin Kraemer will demonstrate surface decoration from two different artistic perspectives.
The festival also includes professional Pottery Olympics heats throughout the weekend, featuring fast-paced throwing challenges such as the widest bowl, tallest cylinder, widest platter, and blindfolded throwing.
Cheer for the Amateur Potters
At 11 a.m. Sunday, amateur potters take the stage for their own friendly throwing competition.
Kids make excellent spectators—especially when the clay starts wobbling and everyone in the crowd suddenly becomes very invested in whether a pot stays standing.
See a Live Raku Firing
Joe Frank McKee will lead raku firing demonstrations at:
Saturday at noon
Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Raku firing includes glowing-hot pottery, fire, smoke, and dramatic results. It is exciting to watch, but it is also extremely hot.
The festival uses cones and safety barriers around the firing area. Please keep children close and safely behind the marked boundaries. Demonstrations are weather permitting.
Watch Us Cook with Clay
Pottery is not only something you display—it can also help make dinner.
At 2 p.m. Saturday, Morgan Baum of Clay Coyote will demonstrate cooking over a gas grill with handmade clay cookware.
Young cooks may especially enjoy seeing a pot move from the artist’s hands to the grill and, eventually, to something everyone can eat.
Visit the Playground
There is an onsite playground at Masonic West River Park, making it easy to take a pottery-shopping break without leaving the festival grounds.
The festival is also located beside the Luce Line State Trail and along the Crow River, with plenty of shade trees and space to walk.
The grounds are generally flat and manageable for strollers, though this is an outdoor festival and some areas may be uneven.
Find a Pot They Can Call Their Own
Pottery does not have to be a grown-up purchase.
Some participating artists bring smaller and lower-priced pieces, giving young shoppers the opportunity to choose a handmade cup, bowl, plate, ornament, or tiny treasure of their own.
Letting children talk directly with the artist who made their piece can be one of the most memorable parts of the day.
Stop for Lunch—or a Treat
The 2026 food trucks are:
Sunny Days Comfort Food
Gypsy Bowls
Let’s Thai It
Coffee will be available from Mocha Motion. Pop will be sold at the Info Pavilion, where families can also refill personal water bottles at the complimentary hydration station.
Crow River Winery will provide alcoholic beverages for visitors age 21 and older.
Let Us Help Carry the Pottery
Children are wonderfully helpful until the bag contains a large ceramic platter.
Once your arms are full, visit the golf-cart shuttle near the Info Pavilion. Festival volunteers can help transport you and your new pottery to the parking area.
Plan Your Family Visit
Saturday, July 25: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sunday, July 26: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Masonic West River Park
Hutchinson, Minnesota
Admission is free.
Bring comfortable shoes, sunscreen, reusable water bottles, and clothes that can survive a little clay. Then let the kids get their hands dirty, meet working artists, cheer for the potters, and discover that the things they use every day can be made by real people.