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Pit Fire Pottery Festival
Constellations in Fire & Clay. Friday, November 6, 2026 3–9 p.m. Douglas Campus. Free admission. Bring the whole family for ceramics, live performances, food and fire.
From afternoon to after dark
Plan your evening
Friday, November 6, 2026 find us at the Douglas Campus, 4190 West Highway 80, Douglas, Arizona. Come for the art and stay for the music, pit lighting and stars. Pit Fire Flyer (PDF)
- Mariachi Plata
- Solar viewing
Look through telescopes provided by the Cochise College astronomy department.
- Folklorico Dancers
- Diamond Creek Apache Crown Dancers
Crown Dance performance.
*All vendors will close during this sacred ceremony - Scholarships & pit lighting
Scholarship recipients announced and Pit Lighting Ceremony.
- Dustoff
Country music through the evening.
- Stargazing
Explore the night sky with the Cochise College astronomy department’s telescopes.
Meet the makers · 2026
Seven pits. Original art.
One shared sky.
Inspired by the Pleiades star cluster, this year’s arrangement brings seven sculpture pits into a constellation of fire and clay. Each pit features an original work by a student sculpture artist, to be burned as the pottery is fired.
2026 Superbowler
Natalie Graziano
- 2012 Ian Carbajal (Douglas)
- 2013 Emilie DePriest (Douglas)
- 2014 Brian Steele (Sierra Vista)
- 2015 Robert Hayostek (Douglas)
- 2016 Icela Pereida (Douglas)
- 2017 Karri Fox (Sierra Vista)
- 2018 Johnny Arvizu (Douglas)
- 2019 Kathryn Hill (Sierra Vista)
- 2020 - Covid (no pit fire)
- 2021 Dale Miller (Douglas)
- 2022 Hunter Shojinaga (Sierra Vista)
- 2023 Grace Ison (Douglas)
- 2024 Sierra Martin (Sierra Vista)
- 2025 Haziel Robles (Douglas)
- 2026 Natalie Graziano (Sierra Vista)
Meet the sculpture artists before the fire. Tour the pit sculptures and talk with the artists until 4:45 p.m. Pit access is limited to essential personnel beginning at 5 p.m.
The sculpture artists
Choose a pit to discover the pottery and school partners behind it.
Pottery from: Arizona Western College
Art instructor: Gigi Janko
Pottery from: Cochise College Douglas Campus
Art instructor: Tate Rich
The largest pit in this year’s constellation.
Pottery from: Bisbee School District K–8 Schools
Art instructor: Dale Miller
Pottery from: Bisbee High School
Art instructor: Eric Wood
This pit will fire last-minute pottery.
Pottery from: Mesa Community College
Art instructor: Angel Luna
Pottery from: Cochise College Sierra Vista Campus
Art instructor: Virginia Thompson
Rockstar Artists
Watch these artists create during the festival.
2D artists
- Shannon Silver
- Calla Behnke
- Ken BoeWhip painting
- Estefania Ramirez Toscano
- Miranda Worthington
- Douglas Fry
- Dale Miller
- Sarah Sheen
3D artists
- Jose Leyva Garcia
- Diego Guerrero
- Tolley RipponMain stage big-pot throwing
- Greg Garza
- Natalie Graziano2026 Superbowler
- Nathaniel Cerami
A community tradition
Pit Fire by the numbers
- 19
- Pit Fire festivals
- 77
- Cords of wood burned
- 1,500
- Annual attendees
- 80
- Gallons of soup
Figures from past festival reporting.
Good to know
Before you arrive
- Free admission for the whole family.
- No pets, except service animals, per Cochise College policy.
- This is a drug, alcohol and tobacco-free event.
Rain or shine. Extremely windy conditions may delay the pit lighting or prevent portions of the festival from taking place if unsafe.
Art, makers & community
Be part of Pit Fire
Vendor applications are open for this year’s event. Artists, vendors and school partners help make this celebration possible.
Apply to be a vendor (opens in a new window)
- Allied Health-Medical
Professions - Arboreality Woodworks
- Arizona Western College Ceramics
- ASL Club
- At Needles Point
- Cacao & cafe
- Café Raíces
- Christian Challenge Club
- Cochise College Film & Media Club at the Douglas Campus
- Colony Construction, LLC
- Dannamars Impresiones
- Deborah Kelly
- Douglas HOSA
- Fantabulouse Parties and Events
- Flight Club
- Glazed Art
- Mata Ortiz Pottery
- NextGen Club
- Peter Chartrand
- Peter Chartrand Pottery
- Regal Parra
- Rustic Cottage
- Tess Jensen
- Undergraduate Research Club
- Uniquely Rustic
- Upperroom Social Club
A tradition shaped together
From classroom firings
to community celebration
Pit Fire began with small ceramic class projects and demonstrations by visiting Mata Ortiz potters. Nighttime firings and shared potlucks grew into a festival that brings students, artists, schools and neighbors together.
Pit firing is an ancient way of firing clay in a pit with a wood fire burning above. The process leaves each piece with distinctive swirls of color and pattern.
The festival is produced by the Pit Fire Committee, including art faculty from both Cochise College campuses, maintenance staff and other contributors. Proceeds support the art department and participating campus clubs.
Art students receive scholarships from the Cochise College Foundation.
Pit Fire Pottery Festival is supported in part by a grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, an agency of the State of Arizona.
Donations of clay were made by Laguna Clay Company and Marjon Ceramics, Inc.
- Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
- Location: 4190 West Highway 80
Douglas, AZ 85607 - Phone:(800) 966-7943
