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North Ave Beach with the Chicago skyline beyond the lakefront

The Pottery Loop × Chicago Girls Who Walk

Berry Basketsby the Lake

Sunday, August 23 · North Ave Beach

Reserve your spot

Date

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Sunday

Walk 10:30 AM · pottery 11:30/12

Price

$45 per person

Open any of these for more

How it worksFive steps, start to finish
  1. 01

    Reserve your spot

    Right now · about a minute

    Online, on this page

    Pick your ticket, add your name, pay. Confirmation arrives by email.

  2. 02

    Build your basket

    Both sittings only

    Friday, Aug 14 · 7:00–9:00 PM

    The Pottery Loop · 1770 W Berteau Ave, Suite 407

    Shape the basket by hand at the studio. BYOB.

  3. 03

    Walk, then glaze

    Sunday, Aug 23 · walk 10:30 AM, pottery 11:30/12–2

    North Ave Beach · by the Chess Pavilion

    Paint your mug on the blankets. BYOB picnic. Can't make it? Glaze in the studio instead, August 24 to September 15.

  4. 04

    We fire it

    The week after

    Our kiln at 1770 W Berteau Ave

    Nothing goes home on the 23rd — glaze needs one last firing.

  5. 05

    Pick it up

    10 days later · by September 30

    1770 W Berteau Ave, Suite 407 — studio pickup only

    Pick a pickup time that suits you at thepotteryloop.com/pickup — held until September 30.

The two sittingsFriday in the studio · Sunday at the lake
01
Guests glazing pottery on blankets at North Ave Beach with the Chicago skyline behind them

Sunday, August 23 · walk 10:30 AM · pottery 11:30/12

Glaze by the lake

North Ave Beach, by the Chess Pavilion

Blankets on the grass, skyline on one side and the water on the other. Walk with Chicago Girls Who Walk at 10:30, then settle in for pottery around 11:30/12. Bring a picnic and something cold — BYOB — and glaze your piece with strawberries, cherries, polka dots, whatever. The baskets are all claimed now, so a premade 10 oz mug is what is waiting for you to paint. It's the easiest way to spend a Sunday and to leave with a few new friends.

Which ticket is right for youWhat you are painting on August 23

Lakefront only, 10 oz mug

$45

Sunday, August 23

You paint a premade 10 oz ceramic mug.

The mug
A premade 10 oz mug, made ahead of time. Pick yours from the table when you arrive. Baskets for this date are sold out.
What you customize
The glazing: colors, berries, patterns, however you want to paint it.
You come
Sunday only — walk 10:30, pottery 11:30/12 to 2. Or glaze in the studio August 24–September 15.

The short version: the berry baskets are sold out, so you paint a 10 oz mug we already made. The shape is ours, the design is yours, and the picnic is exactly the same.

Flexible glazing & pickupCan’t make August 23? You’re still in
Can't make August 23?
Book anyway. Your mug waits for you at the studio and you can glaze it any day between August 24 and September 15, whenever suits you. Same glazes, same brushes — indoors instead of on the grass. Just email us and we'll set it up.
Pickup on your time
Finished work is ready about 10 days after you glaze. Pick whatever slot works at thepotteryloop.com/pickup — we hold everything until September 30.
Sunday, August 23Walk 10:30 AM · pottery 11:30/12 to 2
  1. 10:30 AMWalk with Chicago Girls Who WalkMeet at the Chess Pavilion. Drop your picnic things with us first — we'll watch them.
  2. ~11:30 AMBack to the blanketsSame 2.8-mile lakefront loop as last time. Skipping the walk? Just come at 11:30.
  3. 11:30 / 12Pottery beginsGlazes, brushes, and a quick demo — then paint, picnic, and hang out until 2.

The walk · 2.8 miles lakefront loop

Open map
In collaboration with Chicago Girls Who WalkThey lead the 10:30 AM walk

They lead the 10:30 AM walk that opens the day — a community built around walking, meeting people, and getting to know the city on foot. Their walks are for all women and non-binary folks, and this one lands us right at the blankets for pottery.

The walk
2.8 miles along the lakefront — their walks often run 2.5 miles or more.
Wear & bring
Comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate clothes, and water.
Dogs
Welcome on a leash. Prefer to skip the walk? Come at 11:30.
More about Chicago Girls Who Walk

The group was started by Micaila M., who works in tourism and had been in Chicago about eight years — she wanted to get outside, stay active, and meet new people, and it grew from there into a proper community.

It runs on more than walks now: sunrise walks, hikes, coffee chats, a book club, and a community chat, with a team of six leading walks and looking after members and partners.

Most of their walks need no RSVP — you just show up — and they welcome women and non-binary folks of every background, including people brand new to the city. Kids and leashed dogs are welcome too.

More at chicagogirlswhowalk.com or @chicagogirlswhowalk.

Baskets from previous sittingsPhotos from past workshops
Five finished berry baskets — strawberries, blueberries, terracotta, and deep blue
A blue berry basket painted with blueberries, holding fresh blueberries
A pink berry basket hand-painted with cherries
Pottery in the Park at North Ave Beach on a summer afternoon

Reserve a place

Pick · details · pay

Berry baskets are sold out

All of the premade baskets for August 23 are claimed. The picnic itself still has places, so you can join the very same afternoon and glaze a premade 10 oz ceramic mug instead, for the same $45.

Same Sunday, same walk at 10:30, same blanket at North Ave Beach, same glazes, brushes and firing. The only difference is the shape in your hands.

Included

  • Everything you need to glaze at the lake — glazes, brushes, blankets
  • A premade 10 oz ceramic mug, made by us, ready to paint
  • All firing, done at our Berteau Ave studio
  • A finished mug that's food-safe and dishwasher-friendly
  • The 10:30 AM lakefront walk with Chicago Girls Who Walk

Picking up your piece

Either option, same deal: everything is fired at our studio and ready in 10 days at 1770 W Berteau Ave — studio pickup only, nothing goes home from the park. Book your time at thepotteryloop.com/pickup. We hold finished work until September 30, 2026 — please pick yours up before then.

Good to know

Zero experience needed — truly. BYOB picnic both days, and come solo if you like; people always leave having met someone. Can't make August 23? Glaze in the studio any day between August 24 and September 15. If the 23rd turns stormy we move glazing indoors that afternoon and email everyone.

Questions? potterychicago@gmail.com

All sales are final and no refunds are offered. You may transfer your place to another person with at least 72 hours' notice before the sitting begins. No changes within 72 hours, and no refunds for no-shows.