LARGO, Fla. — Hundreds of guests are expected for the 2nd Annual Under the Oaks Outdoor Market at the Largo Community Center this Sunday.

What You Need To Know

  • The Under the Oaks Outdoor Market is Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Largo Community Center (400 Alt Keene Road, Largo, FL, 33771)

  • More than 50 local artists and vendors will showcase their original work and homemade goods while food trucks and live music enhance the outdoor scene for guests

  • Advanced students from the Largo Community Center’s pottery class will have a dominant presence at the market

More than 50 local artists and vendors will showcase their original work and homemade goods while food trucks and live music enhance the outdoor scene for guests.

Advanced students from the Largo Community Center’s pottery class will have a dominant presence at the market, along with their original pieces transformed from a ball of clay to extraordinary vases, tea pots, bowls, figurines, flower pots, bird houses and much more.

Local artist Dennis O’Connell started taking pottery classes at the center four years ago and said, oftentimes, it’s the composition of the clay that determines the final product.

“It's a lot of work, but after you get used to doing it and learning the techniques, you can throw a bowl in probably about two hours, and then it needs to be bisque fired and glazed,” said O’Connell.

“I'm here three days a week. I actually sign up for two classes rather than just one, so it brings me here for four hours, three times a week,” the retired business contractor and former high school shop teacher continued.

O’Connell, one of nearly two dozen pottery students at the Largo Community Center, enjoys showcasing his work and describing his artistic vision to the guests as they browse at the outdoor market.

“Part of you is in that piece, and it is a very satisfying feeling when people enjoy your work,” said O’Connell, who has also mastered the art of woodworking. “Pottery is very similar to woodworking. I like to do something that's functional. So, by adding a little bit of detail to my work, I can do something different every time that I throw something on the wheel, and that makes it exciting for me.”

The Under the Oaks Outdoor Market is Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Largo Community Center (400 Alt Keene Road, Largo, FL, 33771).

The free event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and it’s open to the public. 

If you have additional questions, contact the Largo Community Center (727-518-3131) for more information.