For the moth of October, Maine Potters Market will be celebrating Oktoberfest with a special display of pots for eating, drinking and merrymaking by Jacqueline Hickey of Happy Valley Potworks.

Oktoberfest in Munich, Bavaria, Germany is the world’s largest fair, attended by six million people. It all began when Bavarian crown prince Ludwig married the princess Therese from Saxony-Hildburghausen on Oct 12, 1810. The local communities were invited to join the five days of festivities to eat drink and be merry. Today the festival lasts 16 days starting the last weeks of September. In huge tents, merrymakers consume seven million liters of beer served with many traditional foods such as roast chicken, bratwurst, pretzels, smoked fish, potato pancakes and sauerkraut.

This year potter Jacqueline Hickey, with her son and husband, have begun a new business growing cut flowers, Red Sky Farm. As an experiment, they grew six different varieties of hops, which are used in floral arranging as well as beer making.

Inspired by both the October festivities and the wonderful hops themselves, Jacqueline is using the hop vines as a decorative element, making stamps to impress her stoneware platters and plates while they are still soft. She has created beer steins, mustard pots and a variety of serving platters to use during your Oktoberfest celebrations so eat drink and be merry! Prosit!

ABOUT JACQUELINE HICKEY – Happy Valley Potworks was established in 1983 with the completion of a barn and studio at Jacqueline's North Waterboro home. She has been making functional pottery for over 30 years. Her forms are either hand built or wheel thrown and often whimsical, and always created with a smile.

ABOUT MAINE POTTERS MARKET – Founded in 1978 by a group of potters who envisioned a cooperative market where they could educate customers and sell their wares to the public, Maine Potters Market currently consists of fourteen potters from twelve Maine studios. The rich variety of handmade work available for sale keeps Maine Potters Market customers returning.