Have you ever wanted to take off your shoes and jump around on clay? Well now is your chance. (Shown below is potter Frank Polizzi preparing a giant pile of clay for stomping. Yes, that is clay.)
This weekend is Mineral Point’s celebrated Clay in May. Think of it as Mineral Point’s pot festival. It’s a self-guided tour of 9 potters at 6 locations.
Click here for the map.
It’s a chance to see artists where they work and take a peak into their kilns. You’ll get to meet some of the nicest potters in the world and they’ll be happy to tell you about their passion for pottery. This 3-minute video about the Fall Art Tour (held each year in October) features potter Diana Johnston and the Johnston’s Brewery Pottery Studio. Diana and her husband Tom have been making pottery together for over 30 years.
Entertaining potter Bruce Howdle will explain why “clay is the way.” Bruce is likely to show you his studio with works in progress and his gallery featuring classic Howdle pigs. (Shown at right is a rare purple Howdle pig.)
Clay stomping takes place at Frank Polizzi’s Mulberry Pottery. This is a traditional way of mixing clay and is fun for the whole family.
Aaron Weaver’s whimsical earthenwear will be on display at the Green Lantern Studios at the top of High Street.
And, be sure to enjoy a short but beautiful drive to Joe and Christy Cole’s Windy Ridge Pottery (click here for Leslie’s Damaso’s post about Windy Ridge).
Book an overnight stay at potter Harriet Story’s Bluebird Hill Country Cottage. You won’t believe the beautiful view from up there. And check out Harriet’s pottery at Story Pottery.
For a total potter experience, be sure to stop in for a drink at the MP Dining Company, where the friendly British bartender is a chap named David POTTER. Tell him High Street Beat sent you.
Contributed by the Hays
High Street Beat 
Another great weekend in Mineral Point. And after you’ve indulged in the “pot culture” amble into the Mineral Point Opera House for a “you’ll want to have been there” concert on Saturday evening by Katie Burns (just launched a wonderful new CD recently at the Brewery Pottery) and the Krause Family Band – still smokin’ from their appearances on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion Radio Show. PHC buffs know that it takes a really special group to get invited back to do as second PHC show — and Keillor did just that to the Krause Family Band when they first appeared with him in Milwaukee last year. Their high energy blue-grass-gospel music features the kind of angelic harmonies that you can only get when the vocalists share DNA — and believe me but come hear for yourself– it will definitely raise a (nice) crop of goose bumps!