The OC Fair is proud to offer pottery demonstrations, arts education and a ceramics gallery—but there’s something truly unique about Muddy’s Studio in Crafters Village.
On Fridays at 6 p.m., people throw pottery with their feet.
Foot-throwing Friday is a tradition for Muddy’s Studio at the Fair. It started when an audience member brought up that she did not remember anything from her ceramics class except that her teacher threw with his feet. The pottery booth staff took up the challenge, and it has been a crowd-pleaser ever since.
Supported by local sponsors, such as Laguna Clay and Aardvark Clay & Supply, Muddy’s Studio has been around for a long time. Randy Au, who manages the booth at the Fair, thinks the demonstrations are popular because they bring a sense of nostalgia.
The pieces on display and for sale at Muddy’s vary daily. There are nearly 30 people showing their work in the booth, including Au, and more than 50 demonstrators participating.
The booth is staffed by volunteers.
“Pottery is their passion,” Au said.
They see returning customers and have developed relationships with them during the almost 20 years that Muddy’s has been an OC Fair fixture.
“The gallery is practically different every day,” Au said.
Demonstrations take place three times a day.
More handcrafted items at the OC Fair include:
Pop-up shop—Sherry Horton, who owns American Gardener in Julian, Calif., features handmade soaps, candles and more at her pop-up shop. Do not miss this collection of fun, unique home decor at Millennium Barm.
Caveman Lapidary—There are only 100 pleistocene cave bears in the world and one of them is in Crafters Village. The 70,000-year-old skeleton is located behind the counter of Caveman Lapidary. Check out this big bear and items for sale that are made of fossils and stone.
California olive oil and honey—Stop by OC Promenade to try the various local olive oils at the tasting bar, featuring a different California producer every week. Then head over to the OC Honey booth for some locally made honey.
Award-winning wine in the courtyard—Speaking of tasting, visit The Courtyard, which can be found on the northwest corner of the shopping buildings, and try out various professional and handcrafted local wines made and submitted for this year’s competitions.
Competition displays—You cannot get any more handmade than the OC Fair’s competition entries. Stop by the Visual Arts and Crafts & Woodworking buildings to view various entries on display, including handcrafted quilts, paintings, woodcarvings and more. Then, go back over to OC Promenade to peek at the cakes, cupcakes and other culinary entries on display.
