LOCAL HAPPENINGS: Fires will burn bright in Seagrove this weekend for potters’ Wood Fire tour

SEAGROVE — The flames have been crackling during the past couple of weeks as potters fire their kilns for the annual Seagrove Wood Fire NC Weekend Pottery Tour, Saturday and Sunday, June 6 and 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Learn about the process of firing with wood and discover the extensive array of effects each potter renders from the atmosphere inside a wood firing.

Some of the kilns take nearly a week to fire, stoking them with wood every 10 minutes or so. 

Volatile compounds, including molten ash, float and flash onto surfaces, building up and creating effects which can dramatically or subtly enhance a pot.

More than a dozen pottery shops are participating this year. Potters will feature new wood-fired pottery and many will hold demonstrations.

According to discoverseagrove.com, the studio tour list includes:

■ Donna Craven Pottery, 2616 Old Cox Road, Asheboro.

■ Luck’s Ware, 1604 Adams Road, Seagrove. 

■ Old Gap Pottery, 944 N.C. Hwy. 705, Seagrove. 

■ Studio Touya, 4911 Busbee Road, Seagrove.

■ Johnston & Gentithes Art Pottery, 741 Fork Creek Mill Road, Seagrove.

■ Matthew Kelly Pottery, 4818 Seagrove Plank Road, Asheboro.

■ Ben Owen Pottery, Inc., 105 Bens Place, Seagrove.

■ Blue Hen Pottery, 247 West Main Street, Seagrove.

■ The Triangle Studio, 1140 NC Highway 705, Seagrove.

■ David Stuempfle Pottery, 1224 Dover Church Road, Seagrove.

■ Chad Brown Pottery, 609 Yow Road, Seagrove.

■ From the Ground Up, 172 Crestwood Road, Robbins.

■ Jugtown Pottery, 330 Jugtown Road, Seagrove.

■ Cupp and Howe Pottery, Pickens Mill Road, Seagrove.

The group represents a mix of traditional and contemporary potters, so the finished pots differ. 

“Some of us can trace our family history back hundreds of years to farmers who used the local clay to craft wares from clay here in Seagrove going back eight generations,” said Ben Owen III, generational Seagrove potter.. “Others have been drawn to the potters area after studying in faraway places like Estonia and Japan and bring unique techniques to the community.”

Admission is free to each of the participating potteries. Maps of the participating shops will be available in town and at each participating shop.

Seagrove is in the center of the state; potteries are located in a 20-mile radius, along and close to NC 705.

First of Denton FarmPark’s two free yard sales is June 6

DENTON — Twice a year, Denton FarmPark sets itself up for a large yard sale that’s free to attend with free parking as well.

Why?

“The Denton Yard Sale Day was created as a way to bring together the entire community and have fun while giving the opportunity to clean out your homes and sell it at an affordable price,” the Denton FarmPark website says. “It allows the chance to help those who need affordable clothes and can get them at cheap yard sale prices!”

It began in 2022 with about 30 sellers in the spring and 60 in the fall set up to sell. Those numbers grew quickly, and in 2025, they were at 250 in June and 260 in September.

It’s a yard sale only: No vendors or crafters or small businesses are allowed to set up tables.

The cost to yard sale sellers is $10 per load, defined as:

■ An unloaded truck with a loaded trailer = 1 load.

■ A car/van with items = 1 load. 

■ A Loaded truck with a loaded trailer = 2 loads.

No registration is needed. Show up at the gate with cash only  for your load(s) and go in and set up, using the space you need.

Sellers must provide their own set-up items, like tables, tents, chairs, etc. They can arrive as early as 6 a.m. to be ready for the buyers, who can enter beginning at  8 a.m. The event lasts until noon.

Onsite bath houses on the property will be unlocked for your convenience.

The park has two entrances: 4259 Handy Road and 1072 Cranford Road. Enter at either one.

The park itself will be closed other than for the yard sale.

To learn more, call 336-859-2755 or visit dentonfarmpark.com/yard-sale-day.

Juneteenth celebration expands this year; here’s the schedule

ASHEBORO — The Asheboro/Randolph County NAACP invites the community to join in a powerful weekend of remembrance, celebration, education and unity during the organization’s Juneteenth Festivities 2026, taking place June 18-20 in Asheboro.

The multi-day celebration will honor the legacy of African Americans in Randolph County while recognizing the enduring significance of Juneteenth — the commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States.

Events will be held primarily at the Historic Randolph County Courthouse, 145 Worth Street, Asheboro, and will include memorial ceremonies, recognition of local Civil Rights leaders, a community march, live entertainment, vendors, family activities and a formal fundraising gala.

“It is truly inspiring to see our community come together to honor individuals whose sacrifices and contributions were pivotal to the progress and success we enjoy today,” Asheboro/Randolph County NAACP President Chip Foust said. 

“The labor and unjust suffering endured by enslaved people helped lay the economic foundation of Randolph County. Likewise, the courage and perseverance of those who endured government-sanctioned racial discrimination and persecution while fighting for equal rights during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s helped move our community and nation toward a more just and equitable future. Their sacrifices deserve to be remembered and honored.”

Event Schedule

Thursday, June 18, 10 a.m.

■ Randolph County Slave Memorial Unveiling & Wreath Laying

The weekend begins with a moving ceremony honoring Randolph County’s enslaved ancestors through music, community speakers and a military salute.

Friday, June 19, 6 p.m.

■ Randolph County Civil Rights Medal of Freedom Presentations

Community members who participated in the Civil Rights protests of the 1960s will be recognized for their courage, sacrifice and leadership.

Saturday, June 20, 10 a.m.

■ 10 a.m. — March to the Memorial

Participants will march together in remembrance while calling out the names of Randolph County’s enslaved individuals in a tribute designed to preserve history and honor lives too often forgotten.

■ 10 a.m.-4 p.m. — Juneteenth Street Festival

The family-friendly festival will feature live music, food vendors, community organizations, activities for children, speakers, and cultural celebrations. Admission is free to all festival events. Worth Street bordered by Fayetteville Street and Cox street will be cordoned off for the event.

■ Special Evening Event:  6 p.m. — The African Heritage Ball

George Washington Carver Community Enrichment Center, 950 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Asheboro, NC 27203

The weekend concludes with a formal evening celebration benefiting the Carver Arts After School Academy. Admission is $35.

For any of these events, organizers encourage residents from across Randolph County and beyond to attend and participate.

For more information, vendor opportunities, sponsorships or tickets to the African Heritage Ball, contact the Asheboro/Randolph County NAACP at 336-653-4129.

National Trails Day kicks off some local summer hiking opportunities

Three hikes are planned for National Trails Day this June, all taking place Saturday, June 6, at varying times during the day, as noted in the accompanying graphic with starting point addresses as well.

The first event, the Creekside parkrun 5K, is a weekly run/walk held in Creekside Park.

The second hike introduces hikers to trails outside of the NC Zoo’s confines, and thus free to visit and hike.

The third hike introduces the new Bush Creek Bridge to hikers.

You can meet at the times designated to join a group on each excursion.

Other hikes this summer:

■ July 12 — Hike at Tot Hill Farm TH to Cooler’s Knob in the Birkhead Wilderness of the Uwharrie National Forest with a side trip to Col Balfour Grave site.

■ Aug. 9 — Hike to Cooper Mountain Cemetery from Robbins Branch TH in the Birkhead Wilderness of the Uwharrie National Forest.

■ Sept. 13 — Hike at Franklinville to Faith Rock and Sandy Creek Bridge.

More information will be provided as the dates get closer.

And now we wait

These concrete foundations are ready for capstones, brick sidings and the brass representations of our nation’s founding documents. However, the construction crew, which had poured the foundations for the monuments, was unable to place the capstones on May 22 due to inclement weather. The crew was scheduled to do other projects for the next few weeks before rescheduling with Randolph County. It’s expected that they’ll be back in Asheboro by mid- or late June. The monuments will have brass representations of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Civil Rights documents.

ABWA sets up shred event for June 6 

ASHEBORO — The local chapter of the American Women’s Business Association has scheduled a paper shredding event for this Saturday, June 6, at the office of Scarboro & Ward, CPAs, at 121 W. Academy St., Asheboro. The event will run from 9 a.m. until noon.

A suggested donation of $5 per box or bag of material to be shredded is requested. All proceeds will go to the Heart of the Piedmont Chapter’s Education fund.