On Saturday, July 9, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts will host their 22nd annual Salad Days, a fresh-food extravaganza featuring a delicious buffet lunch and handmade ceramic plates that visitors can take home. Much of the food for the event is sourced from neighboring organic farms and over 30 area restaurants will contribute dishes for the picnic. The festival draws crowds of over 400 from around New England and beyond. 

This year’s event will showcase a well-known group of artists who are part of an online ceramics collective called Objective Clay. The group’s 2.5 week artist residency at Watershed coincides with Salad Days and provides a rare opportunity for members to work alongside one another, share ideas, and collaborate. During Salad Days, Objective Clay artists will be selling work in an extensive pottery sale and performing wheel throwing and hand building demonstrations throughout the day. 

In addition to the pottery sale, visitors can choose from dozens of handcrafted beer steins made by regional potters and participate in a raffle featuring ceramic art pieces made by notable artists including Chris Gustin and Kathy King. For those who want to get their hands dirty, Pots on Wheels!, a mobile classroom that brings pottery lessons to communities around the Northeast, will offer visitors a chance to play with clay.

Funds raised during Salad Days support Watershed’s programs for clay artists. Admission is $35, which includes the meal and a handcrafted plate by artist Liz Hafey. Visitors coming just to the pottery sale are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased on site that day or online at www.watershedceramics.org.

For directions to Watershed and details on Salad Days, visit http://www.watershedceramics.org/events/salad-days/.