Groups of 6 or fewer • Groups of 7 or more
No matter your group size, our experienced staff will guide your group through a memorable and fun event. Our downtown location puts us close to many dining choices to make a day of it.
Team Building for 7-36 Participants
Please call us for information on larger groups.
All workshops are approximately 2 or 3 hours, and each option is great for groups of 7 or more people. We include all instruction, aprons, tools, materials, clay, glazes, and firing. Your team will have fun getting creative & muddy together!
We accommodate larger groups of 35 to 50 (see Option #1) by setting up three activity stations. Participants choose 2 out of 3 activities during the workshop. Choices include pottery wheel, hand-built mugs OR sushi dishes, and hand-built birdhouses OR oval tray with handles.
TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES
During your workshop, participants work on the pottery wheel, do hand-building projects, or both. After making items, participants choose from a broad palette of glazes – all are food-safe, non-toxic, dishwasher and microwave safe. Pieces are ready for pickup within 3-4 weeks of your event date.
Option 1
Deluxe Wheel &
Hand-Building
Each person makes 1 piece on the pottery wheel and creates 3 nested trays in various sizes, with beautiful, imprinted designs. Everyone has a great time exploring all the texture mats, stamps, letters, and rolled impressions while making gorgeous dishes with raised edges. Other hand building projects may be available on request.
Option 1 is available for up to 36 people.
4 pieces per person
$110/person • 2 hours
Option 2
“Wet & Wild” Pottery Wheel Workshop
Participants make 2 pieces on the pottery wheel – typically a cup and a bowl. At the end of the workshop, we have a little friendly competition – teams compete for the tallest, combined cylinder. Prizes are typically giant chocolate bars – YUM. Mini chocolate bars given to the runners-up.
Option 2 is available for up to 18 people.
2 pieces per person
$95/person • 2 hours
Option 3
Ultimate Wheel & Hand-Building
Make lots of items, experience both pottery wheel & hand-building for 3 hours of pottery-making bliss! Each person makes 2 pieces on the pottery wheel – typically a cup and a bowl. After pottery wheel work, everyone creates slab-based, hand-built projects (see choices below) with imprinted designs and textures.
Option 3 is available for up to 36 people.
Up to 5 pieces per person
Choose ONE hand-building project for your group:
3A Nested plates (3)
3B Birdhouse
3C Large Oval Serving Tray with Handles
3D Breakfast or Dessert set – 8” square plate & mug
$125/person • 3 hours
REFRESHMENTS
For groups of 8 or more, Higher Fire provides light refreshment – typically bottled water, fresh fruit and cookies. Many visiting groups dine out prior to, or just after their workshop with us. If you prefer, Higher Fire can set aside a large table for serving snacks or beverages (beer, wine, etc.) that you’d like to bring along…Just let us know.
BOOKING
The best days for booking group events are Wednesdays & Fridays, although we can accommodate groups most weekday afternoons with sufficient advanced notice. Weekend private workshops for 7 or more may only booked as a Take a Spin (see below). When you are ready to book, we collect a 25% non-refundable deposit based on your planned headcount. Balance is due on the day of the workshop. Higher Fire charges for the actual number of attendees or 90% of your planned headcount, whichever is higher.
LATE POLICY
We’re thrilled to have your group visit for a workshop! It’s important, however, that participants arrive on time so we can begin within 30 minutes of your scheduled start time, in order to minimize negative impacts on staff & studio scheduling of classes (and cascades of delays for students or other visiting groups). Groups that begin their workshop later than 30 minutes after their start time are charged $50 per 1/2 hour of delay.
PARKING
Higher Fire is surrounded by plentiful street parking and is adjacent to several city parking lots. We encourage you to walk, bike, or take public transit to our studio if possible. But for those driving, here are some easy options for parking near our studio and gallery.
NEW! 90 Minutes FREE at ParkSJ Garages
The city’s parking validation program ended in 2020, and has been replaced by a “first 90 minutes FREE” program for all customers entering ParkSJ’s main downtown lots and garages. Everyone gets 90 minutes free, then regular rates apply.
Metered Parking
Plenty of metered street parking is available on South 1st and Market Streets around the studio. Metered spaces allow for up to 3-hours of parking between 9am-6pm on weekdays and Saturdays. Weeknights after 6pm, spaces are free. (Parking on William Street is for residents only.)
Non-Metered Parking on Reed or Balbach Streets
Plenty of non-metered street parking with no time limit is available on Reed Street, east of Market. 2-Hour parking on Balbach Street is non-metered, but the 2-hour time limit is enforced.
South First Area (SoFA) lot
Located under Interstate 280 at South First Street. The SoFA lot offers FREE parking weeknights after 6 p.m. and all day Saturday, Sunday and holidays. Flat rate all-day parking Monday-Friday is available for $5. This lot is just a 2-minute walk to our front door.
Some useful links:
• Parking in downtown San Jose – Programs & Info
• Interactive SJ Downtown Parking Map
• Get Downtown via Public Transit
For 4-6 People
Book your own, private Take A Spin class! Enjoy a small group lesson on the pottery wheel with step-by-step instruction. Each person makes 2 pieces in two hours, guaranteed. Course includes the 2-hour guided lesson, use of studio tools and clay, choice of 15 glaze colors, and firing for 2 pieces. Minimum is 4 people. The price is $99 per person.
Each student gets their own wheel. Instructor pre-centers your clay. Items are fired, finished, and ready for pickup within 3-4 weeks. Minimum age for the pottery wheel is 12.
