Thanksgiving comes early this year, and so does pottery weekend in Seagrove. Its twin festivals bring pottery lovers great distances to meet potters, see and buy their crafts, and enjoy a double-feature of pottery.

On one side of town is the 31st Annual Seagrove Pottery Festival. It features potters and other traditional craftspeople who come to town to sell their wares. This festival features a potters’ market, auction of signed and dated pottery, demonstrations, and food vendors.

On the south side of Seagrove, in the historic Luck’s Cannery on N.C. Highway 705, the Seagrove Area Potters Association (SAPA) holds its fifth annual Celebration of Seagrove Pottery.

This year’s event features 65 Seagrove pottery shops and more than 100 authentic Seagrove artists.

About 5,000 people visit this one event throughout the weekend. Thousands also visit the other festival.

The weekend before Thanksgiving is one of the most spectacular times of any year for potters and pottery.

The celebration’s Friday Night Gala (tonight) provides customers an opportunity to preview all the pottery available and be first in line to purchase. There is live jazz music and a “meet and greet” with potters during the catered reception.

This year features a local restaurant, “Something Different,” of Asheboro, music from The Gary Woodard Band, and samples from local Asheboro brewery “Four Saints.” Tickets for the gala are $40 in advance and include Saturday and Sunday admission to the celebration.

One exciting part of the gala is the collaborative auction. It offers the rare opportunity to bid on special pots created by two or more potters working together. These unique pots showcase both individuals’ talents, creating one of the most diverse and exceptional groupings of highly collectable pots available.

There are also auctions across town on Saturday and Sunday at the Seagrove Pottery Festival on Old Plank Road. The festival spreads from the school gym to huge white tents erected on the grounds. Outside both events, Scouts and others will be selling tasty things to eat.

Potters have been hard at work in preparation for both big events.

Among the collaborators preparing dual offerings for the gala are works by Bruce Gholson and Ben Owen; Pam and Travis Owens and Jennie Keatts; Sid Luck and Stacy Lambert; David Garner and Jeff McDowell; Michael Mahan and Will McCanless; Frank Neef and Paul Ray; Donna Craven and Susan Greene; Janice and Bruce Latham; Crystal King and Jeffery Dean; Bonnie Burns and Chris Luther; Michael Mahan and Phil Pollet.

The celebration continues Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, visitors will have the opportunity to bid on special pots donated for the silent auction, which takes place from 1 to 3 p.m.

Potters will demonstrate throughout the weekend event. Demonstrating potters include: Eck McCanless, Michael Mahan, Sid Luck, Ben Owen, Charles “Doc” Tostoe, Frank Neef, Jared Zehmer and David Fernandez.

Children are encouraged to attend the event with two booths designed with them in mind. In one, children have the opportunity to explore their creativity with hands-on activities. The other features donated pots that only children can purchase, priced from $1 to $5. The proceeds benefit art programs in local schools.

Participating shops are Avery, Ben Owen, Blue Hen, Blue Stone, Bulldog, Caldwell-Hohl, Chad Brown, Chris Luther, Country Pots, Cross Creek, Crystal King, Daniel Johnston, David Stuempfle, Dean & Martin, Dirt Works, Dixieland, Donna Craven, Dover, Eck McCanless, Fat Beagle, Fireshadow, Frank Neef, From the Ground Up, Gingerbread House, Great White Oak, Hatfield, Hickory Hill, Jessica Dennis, JLK Jewelry, Johnston & Gentithes, Jugtown, Keith Martindale, King’s, Koepnick, Kovack, Lantern Hill, Latham’s, Luck’s Ware, Lufkin, McCanless, McKay, Michele Hastings & Jeff Brown, Nelda French, Nichols, Ol’ Henry, Old Gap, Original Owens, Patrick Rowe, Pebbles, Potts, Ray, Riggs, Rockhouse, Seagrove Stoneware, Snowhill, Studio Touya, The Hutch, Thomas, Tom Gray, Triple C, Turn & Burn, Uwharrie Crystalline, Whynot, Windsong and Zehmer.

Potteries taking part at the Seagrove Pottery Festival include Amy Hart Design, Bolick Pottery, Bristow Pottery, Buckhorn Pottery, CF Tomchik Designs, Callicutt Pottery, Canyon Art, Cape Fear Pottery, Charlotte Munning Pottery, Chrisco’s Pottery, Country Hearts Pottery, Down to Earth Pottery, Dpetersham Clay Designs, Earthly Arts, Earthworks Pottery;

Flame Pottery, Flying Pig Pottery, Fork Creek Mill Pottery, Freeman Pottery, Hog Hill Pottery, Homeplace Pottery, Horse Barn Pottery, Into the Fire Pottery, JCR Designs, Kathy Whitley Pottery, Keith Meyers Pottery, Kenneth Neilson Pottery, Kovack Pottery, Lantern Hill Pottery;

Lion’s Den Pottery, Lovin Hills Pottery, Lowder Pottery, Lufkin Pottery, Maggie Black Pottery, Mud Duck Pottery, Mudd Pottery, New Day Pottery, North Cole Pottery, Olive Branch Pottery, Ouida’s Pottery, Palm Tree Pottery, Pebbles Pottery, Phil Morgan Pottery, Piney Woods Pottery, Potterphenalia;

Pottery by Eugene, Pottery Junction, Raven Pottery, Rockhouse Pottery, Russellwood Pottery, Rust Pottery, Seagrove Orchids, Shovelin’ Barefoot, Snow Creek Pottery, Southern Designs, The Pottery Garden, Travis Berning Pottery, Tree House Pottery, Triple C Pottery, Turning Point Clay Studio, Tyro Pottery & Creations, Wildwood Originals, Williams Pottery, Wood's Wheel Pottery and Wyndham & Brooke Haven Pottery.

Contact John Chappell at (910) 783-5841 or jfchappell@gmail.com.