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The City of Troy will welcome a variety of artists and crafters to its historic downtown square this weekend for TroyFest 2021.

Morgan Drinkard, TroyFest Arts & Craft Festival Publicity Chair, said more than 70 artists will fill the downtown square with paintings, pottery, jewelry, graphics, drawings, sculpture, functional crafts, decorative crafts, folk art and photography.

“We have artists and crafters from our local area, from all around Alabama and from several states as close as Georgia and Florida and as distant as Indiana and Minnesota,” Drinkard said. “We are looking forward to a great weekend and invite everyone to join us. Admission is free and a good time will be had by all.”

Drinkard said only one list features all artists from out-of-state.

Making up the pottery list are Mud Pottery from Eagle Springs, North Carolina and Old River Run from Marianna, Florida.

Whether shoppers are looking for a tray for deviled eggs, a garlic-faced pot, a syrup warmer or a toothbrush holder, odds are that they will find it at the potters’ booths.

“Both potters are amazing and both are different,” Drinkard said. “Mudd Pottery artist Tony Mitchell works from a ‘simple’ studio hidden way down a small country road but participates in more than 40 festivals throughout the year.”

Mudd Pottery specializes in hand-built pieces and offers wheel-thrown items as well.

All Mudd Pottery glazes are created in the studio.

“We never use store bought glazes,” Mitchell said. “So, Mud Pottery is as unique in color as in design.”

All of Dawn Prietz’s pottery crafted at Old River Run is one-of-a-kind and embodies a wide variety of styles including ocean themes, art deco, Southwestern and Native American.

“Some of her pieces are made from locally dug clay in Jackson County, Florida,” Drinkard said. “Her pieces are recognizable by their impressions and wonderful textures.”

Drinkard said the pottery category is the smallest of TroyFest 2021 but will be extremely popular.

The work of these two potters is unlike any other, she said.

“It’s decorative; it’s functional and it’s fun. Shoppers will not look and walk away.”

The largest category for the annual fine arts festival is functional crafts with 21 crafters with a wide variety of items from door hangers to sawblade knives, from birdhouses to handwoven baskets.

From the smallest categories to the largest, TroyFest 2021 has it all.

“Everyone is invited to join us this weekend as we celebrate the arts in downtown Troy,” Drinkard said. Hours are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free.