Tri-State Pottery Festival returns for its 53rd year
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EAST LIVERPOOL -- The Tri-State Pottery Festival returns for its 53rd year on June 29.
The event will be held June 29 through July 1 in downtown East Liverpool where it has been since it started in 1970.
Christopher Pritt, operations and media relations for Tri-State Pottery Festival, described the festival as everyone coming together to celebrate the heritage of the town, being that it was the pottery capital of the world.
For Pritt, the festival is an important part in preserving the town's pottery history as more and more potteries close. There are only two remaining potteries of the over 200 that once put East Liverpool on the map as the pottery capital of the world.
"It's good to have the festival in this town to showcase what came from this area for all the younger generations, that way everybody learns," Pritt said. "We are not in the history books that they teach in the schools, so I think it's good to have a local festival to keep the tradition going; to keep the knowledge out there and showcase what East Liverpool was before."
According to Pritt, the Tri-State Pottery Festival Committee, which organizes the event and is made up completely of volunteers, is a not-for-profit group. The organization takes any money left over after the bills are paid and applies it toward the following year's festival.
"We rely on the support of the community each year to be able to keep having the festival," Pritt said. "The more support we get from the community, the better we can expand the festival. We wouldn't be going on 53 years if it wasn't for our community."
This year the festival, which kicks off with an opening ceremony on the steps of the Museum of Ceramics at 10 a.m. on June 29, will take place on East Fifth, Broadway, Fourth and Washington streets this year.
Due to the slight change in the streets, this year's festival will not have a parade and there will be no fireworks due to the event being so close to the Fourth of July.
Without the parade, the committee is hoping to have the Queen and her court, which consists of EmmaRose Kurtz as the 2023 Queen, Julianna Burkett as maid of honor and Chasity Smith, Kiera Martin, Emilly Wilcox and Caleah Maple as princesses, out and about at the festival interacting more with events and attendees.
Some of the events and activates at this year's event include:
On Thursday, June 29, a stuffed animal contest from 11 a.m. to noon and a hula hoop contest at 5:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Library.
On Friday, June 30, the baby contest will be held at 5:30 p.m., with registration from 2 to 4 p.m., and the beard and mustache contest, which has a $2 entry fee, will begin at 7 p.m.
On Saturday July 1 is the Joe Wells Jr. 5K walk/run at 8 a.m., with registration which has a $25 entry fee at 7 a.m., at the corner of Fourth and Walnut streets; a pet show at the KSU Amphitheatre with judging at noon and registration from 9 to 10 a.m.; the Blink Applegate Memorial Rose Show will be judged at 12:30 p.m., with registration taking place from 9 a.m.- to noon; a baking contest with registration at from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and judging at 1 p.m. at the Vintage Nook; a chalk art contest from 1 to 2 p.m., with registration from12:30 to 1: p.m. and judging at 2 p.m.; BK Hamburger eat-off on the main stage at 3 p.m., registration begins at 2 p.m.; and cornhole doubles contest at 5 p.m.
The doorknob toss will take place June 29 at 5:30 p.m. for the women's tournament, with $5 entry fee, and mixed doubles, with $5 entry fee, at 6 p.m. On June 30, the national doubles and children's doorknob toss will take place at 6:15 p.m. All doorknob tosses will be held in the Museum of Ceramics parking lot.
On Friday June 30, a tattoo contest will take place from 2 to 3 p.m., followed by the youth talent show from 3 to 4 p.m., and the Pottery Idol contest from 4:30 to 5 p.m.
On July 1 there will be the car and bike show from 1 to 4 p.m., and arm wrestling from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
The event will also have a dime toss both where participants can toss dimes and if a dime lands on a piece of china, they get that piece of china.
Main stage entertainment will begin at 2 p.m. on June 29 with a DJ. At 3 p.m. will be 2022 Idol winner Destiny Hall, followed by Bill Crawford from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and Route 45 band from 8 to 11 p.m.
On June 30, live entertainment will include The Vintage Band from 5 to 7:30 p.m., followed by the ChillBillyz from 8 to 11 p.m., both on the main event stage.
On July 1 live entertainment on the main stage will include Doc Roe & Sweet Harmonies from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Ken & Kim Stull from 1 to 3 p.m., Dave Morgan from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and Blind Colors from 8 to 11 p.m.
The Museum of Ceramics will have reduced admission of $1 and have extended hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on July 1.
Ceramic City Art Show with free admission will be held in the Venture Real Estate Gallery from 2 to 7 p.m. each day.
There will be photography and art show inside the New Castle School of Trades building, which is also the location for the event headquarters where souvenirs and Plate turner cards will be available to purchase, and the Chinese auction will be held. The building will be open from 2 to 8 p.m. during the event.
Rides will operate 4 to 10 p.m. June 29, 2 to 11 p.m. on June 30 and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 1. Wristband purchases will be $15 on June 29, $20 on June 30 and $25 on July 1.
The event will also have over 16 food vendors and over 20 craft vendors.
"I, along with all of the other dedicated volunteers, have gone above and beyond this year to make sure the festival will be full of fun and festivities for the entire family to enjoy," Pritt said.
Additional information and updates can be found on the Tri-State Pottery Festival's Facebook page.
kgarabrandt@gmail.com