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Try a 20-minute pottery wheel experience at the St Pete Coffee & Art Festival inside the Florida State Fairgrounds. Perfect for travelers and families who want a tactile, low-cost creative stop between coffee tastings.
Try a 20-minute pottery wheel experience at the St Pete Coffee & Art Festival inside the Florida State Fairgrounds. Perfect for travelers and families who want a tactile, low-cost creative stop between coffee tastings.
Book with Stroke of Art
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Operated by Stroke of Art · Tampa, Florida
St Pete Coffee & Art Festival sits inside the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, Florida, at 4800 U.S. 301, Tampa, FL 33610. It’s a compact, lively intersection of independent coffee roasters, visual artists, and a small ceramics pop-up called Stroke of Art (SOA Ceramics Co.), which runs a 'Quick Spin'—a 20-minute hands-on pottery wheel session designed for complete beginners. The festival occupies exhibition halls and outdoor vendor rows across the fairgrounds, with festival-goers weaving between espresso stands, mural installations, and the low-lying coastal plain that defines the greater Tampa Bay area. That coastal setting—salt-scented air, palm flanks, and mangrove fingers visible on nearby shores—gives a subtropical backdrop to an otherwise urban arts event.
The Quick Spin is simple and direct: sit, center the clay, and feel the wheel’s rhythm while an instructor coaches hand placement and form. The experience costs a modest entry fee and intentionally leaves finished pieces unfired; SOA offers optional shipping for finished and fired work for an additional charge. Because the session is short, it’s perfect for travelers with limited time who want a tactile memory—a smear of local clay on the fingertips rather than a souvenir magnet. The event’s casual cadence pairs well with café hopping, gallery browsing, or an afternoon exploring other fairground exhibitions.
What makes this stop unique in Tampa’s outdoor and cultural scene is its accessibility and immediacy. You don’t need studio time or prior reservations to try throwing; you get a guided, safe introduction under the fair’s high-ceilinged pavilions. For families, day-trippers, and visiting outdoor enthusiasts, the festival offers a dry, shaded respite from Florida sun while still feeling site-specific—coffee beans from regional roasters and imagery that nods to Tampa’s waterfront identity.
Practical notes: arrive early to beat lines, wear clothing you don’t mind splashing, and bring a card for optional shipping or additional classes. The quick format means results are tactile and temporary unless you opt into the firing service. If you’re in Tampa to paddle, bike, or hike the nearby Bayshore trails, plan a stop here for a short, hands-on craft that reconnects you to place through touch and technique.
Visitors should note that the Quick Spin is intentionally introductory: pieces are mostly demonstrations of technique rather than finished pottery; if you’d like a completed, glazed, fired object, reserve local studio classes later or opt into SOA’s shipping and firing service. Parking at the Florida State Fairgrounds is plentiful but can fill on peak festival days; public transit on Hillsborough Area Regional Transit routes and rideshares make arrival simple. The festival also supports small businesses—expect to find seasonal blends, poured-over coffees, and handmade goods from Tampa Bay artisans. It’s an easy, creative stop yielding a tactile regional souvenir, quickly.
The Quick Spin is a 20-minute guided pottery wheel experience designed for beginners.
No. Items made during the Quick Spin are not fired on site; SOA offers optional shipping and firing for an extra fee.
Yes—families are welcome, but check any age restrictions at check-in; sessions are simplified for beginners.
No experience is required; instructors lead participants through basic centering and shaping techniques.
The activity takes place at the Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 U.S. 301, Tampa, FL 33610, inside exhibition pavilions and vendor areas.
Yes. The fairgrounds have on-site parking, but it can fill on peak festival days—consider transit or rideshare for busy hours.
Stroke of Art is a creative studio that brings hands-on pottery, ceramic painting, and fluid painting experiences to guests at the Castle Hotel Autograph Collection and in its local studio. Professionals teach wheel-throwing, hand-building, drip painting, and guided glaze techniques across public classes, private events, school field trips, and afterschool enrichment programs. Stroke of Art provides structured lessons, small group instruction, and full-service setup — including all clay, glazes, canvases, and tools — so participants can focus on making art. Classes range from short sessions like Pottery Wheel and Fluid Drip & Sip to multi-week programs such as a six-week sculpture workshop and six-week advanced wheel throwing. Signature offerings include a Pottery Wheel Experience at the Castle Hotel, date-night and friends' night options, a ceramics painting class for all ages, and curated school field trips that travel to schools or host students in-studio. The studio also partners with Castle Hotel Orlando for themed poolside painting and evening drip events that combine creativity with a relaxed social atmosphere. Stroke of Art emphasizes safety, accessibility, and clear instruction. Teachers adapt projects for beginners, families, and experienced students to ensure successful finished pieces ready for glazing and pickup. Booking is available for single classes, private groups, and seasonal sessions. With consistent class structure, experienced instructors, and multiple formats for participation, Stroke of Art offers reliable, memorable creative experiences for learners of all ages. Sessions welcome individuals, couples, families, and students of all skill levels; finished works are glazed, fired, and available for pickup.
Book with Stroke of Art