Behind the Wheel of Creativity: Babett’s Squeaky Wheel Pottery Springs into Action
Babett has a unique knack for gathering creative souls from various backgrounds in the vibrant downtown area of historic Hastings, Minnesota. Submitted image.
As spring blossoms in Hastings, Minnesota, so does our local creative scene. Squeaky Wheel Pottery – the beloved pottery studio and store in historic downtown Hastings – is rolling out an exciting lineup of spring and summer pottery classes for all ages. From imaginative ceramics summer camps for kids to “Behind-the-Wheel” pottery wheel training for teens, not to mention special Mother’s Day pottery events, there’s something clay-tastic for everyone. At the helm is Babett, the owner and creative spirit of Squeaky Wheel Pottery, who infuses every class with a warm, witty, and inclusive H-Town vibe. Let’s dive into how this local gem is shaping art and community – one pottery class at a time.
Spring & Summer Pottery Classes for All Ages
Squeaky Wheel Pottery’s new class calendar is a craft-lover’s dream for Hastings families. Here’s a look at the creative workshops and pottery classes Hastings MN enthusiasts can look forward to this season:
Pipsqueaks Summer Camps (Kids) – Make this summer your most artistic one yet! Kids can join multi-day ceramics summer camps for kids packed with fun themes – from crafting animal figurines A-to-Z to sculpting Under the Sea creatures and building magical fairy garden pieces. These hands-on camps let children roll, sculpt, paint, and play with clay, sparking imagination while building fine motor skills and confidence, squeakywheelpottery.com, squeakywheelpottery.com. By the end, campers proudly bring home unique creations (and great stories to tell grandma and grandpa!). Don’t be surprised if your child’s favorite summer memories involve clay up to their elbows and a big creative grin.
Teens & Tweens “Behind-the-Wheel” Training – Teens, start your engines… er, wheels! Squeaky Wheel’s cleverly named Behind-the-Wheel pottery workshops invite ages 11–18 to take a spin at the potter’s wheel, squeakywheelpottery.com. This is the perfect driver’s ed for future potters – under the guidance of super friendly instructors, teens learn to center clay and throw their very own bowls, cups, and plates. Each two-hour session (wheel included, actual driver’s license not required!) offers plenty of mud-slinging fun in a relaxed setting. It’s a fantastic way for teens and tweens to meet new friends, explore a cool hobby, and perhaps discover a lifelong passion for pottery. Best of all, practice is encouraged – they can sign up for one session or keep coming back to improve their wheel skills, because “practice makes you a better potter” as the studio says, squeakywheelpottery.com.
Mother’s Day Pottery Events – With Mother’s Day around the corner, Squeaky Wheel Pottery has dreamed up some heartwarming clay adventures to celebrate moms and mother-figures. In Kids’ Claytime: Planter Pots for Moms, youngsters (ages 6 and up) can craft a cute flower pot for mom or grandma – complete with kid-made charm, squeakywheelpottery.com. For a family experience, the “Make a Mug with Mom” workshop invites moms, grandmas, and kids to the studio together to hand-build mugs while making memories, squeakywheelpottery.com. (No experience needed – just bring your love and maybe an apron!) You’ll get to sip from those one-of-a-kind mugs for years to come, long after the clay is washed off little hands. There’s even a collaborative Floral Centerpiece & Vase workshop duo where you first create a pottery vase at Squeaky Wheel, then learn floral arranging with Impressive Windows & Interiors – two creative workshops rolled into one blooming good time, squeakywheelpottery.com, squeakywheelpottery.com. These Mother’s Day pottery events are a perfect way to bond, get creative, and share some laughs – and yes, dads and bonus parents are welcome too!
From seasonal family workshops like a Cinco de Mayo “salsa & guac” bowl fiesta to the ongoing roster of beginner and advanced classes, Squeaky Wheel Pottery ensures that creative workshops Hastings Minnesota residents of any age or skill level can find the right fit. All classes include materials and expert guidance, and the friendly atmosphere means you can relax and enjoy, whether you’re a total newbie or a returning clay enthusiast.
Babett in downtown Hastings, Minnesota, is beautifully decorated for the Downtown Halloween Candy Crawl. This annual event brings families and kids together, creating a fun and festive atmosphere. Image by HastingsNow.com.
Meet Babett – The Creative Force Behind the Studio
Every great studio has an inspiring founder, and Squeaky Wheel Pottery is no exception. Babett Larimer, the owner and chief creative spirit, turned her lifelong pottery passion into a thriving community hub. German-born and a proud Minnesotan for 20+ years, Babett opened Squeaky Wheel in spring 2022, fulfilling her dream of owning a pottery studio, hastingsnow.com, hastingsnow.com. What started as a personal hobby – making functional pottery pieces for her own family – grew into a mission to share the joy of clay with others.
Babett’s background is as colorful and sturdy as her pottery. She’s drawn to functional ceramic pieces that become part of daily life: the idea that a handmade mug can become someone’s morning favorite, or a planter she crafted could house a beloved family plant, “wärmt [her] Herz” (warms my heart) as Babett says. This genuine love for connecting people through pottery shines through in every class she leads. When she’s not teaching, you might find Babett experimenting with new textures and glazes or excitedly brainstorming the next fun workshop (her energy is as infectious as her laugh!).
But Babett doesn’t do it all alone – she’s built a team of passionate instructors who share her vision. From a current pastor who brings a compassionate, no-fear vibe to beginner classes, to a lifelong artist who threw his first pot at age 5, each instructor adds their own flair. Babett has a knack for gathering creative souls. Together, this team has created a nurturing, non-judgmental environment where everyone – kids, teens, adults – feels at home getting their hands muddy, squeakywheelpottery.com. Babett’s leadership and welcoming personality set the tone, making Squeaky Wheel Pottery as friendly as a small-town coffee shop, but with aprons and clay instead of lattes.
A Haven of Creativity in Historic Downtown Hastings
Walk along the 200 block of Sibley Street, and you’ll spot Squeaky Wheel Pottery’s stylish sign swinging invitingly – a beacon for art lovers in our river town’s historic downtown. Inside, the studio hums with a special energy. Pottery wheels whir softly, shelves brim with quirky handmade mugs and bowls, and there’s always laughter echoing amid the sounds of clay being molded. The vibe is warm, down-to-earth, and inclusive – much like Babett herself. Newcomers are greeted like neighbors (likely because they are neighbors!), and there’s zero intimidation factor. In fact, HastingsNow.com recently dubbed Squeaky Wheel Pottery “a local gem, thriving in the heart of historic downtown” that “embodies the spirit of Hastings with every piece and class”, hastingsnow.com.
This pottery studio isn’t just about making pots – it’s about building community. Squeaky Wheel Pottery has quickly become a community hub where creativity and camaraderie meet, hastingsnow.com. On any given week, you might find a mix of folks: a retiree rediscovering a love of art, a couple on a fun date night throwing clay, a group of friends laughing through a Friday night workshop, or a pack of energetic kids comparing their muddy hands. The studio’s communal table often turns into a show-and-tell zone, with participants admiring each other’s newly crafted pieces (“That bowl is awesome – I love the glaze color you chose!”). The communal spirit extends beyond the studio walls, too. Squeaky Wheel partners with other local businesses for events (like the Mother’s Day vase-and-flowers collab) and participates in community happenings – you might have seen their booth at the Hastings Spring Craft Fair or local maker markets, inviting everyone to “Experience Clay!”.
Hastings has a rich creative heartbeat, and Squeaky Wheel Pottery is now a key part of it. Not only does the studio provide a fun, hands-on outlet for creative expression, it also supports local artisans. The front retail area is a treasure trove of locally handcrafted pottery and gifts, showcasing work by Babett and other area potters and makers. Whether you’re browsing for a unique Hastings souvenir or taking a class, you’ll feel the love and craftsmanship that’s gone into every item. This blending of retail and studio space means Squeaky Wheel is one location, two unique experiences – shop and gallery in front, clay playground in the back, squeakywheelpottery.com, squeakywheelpottery.com. It’s become a must-visit stop in downtown for both tourists and locals. After all, where else can you buy a mug and then learn how to make one?
Pottery in Hastings: From Past to Present
You might be wondering, has Hastings always been into pottery? While our town isn’t traditionally known as a pottery capital like nearby Red Wing, the clay scene here has a rich and quietly powerful story—and today’s creative spark was built on the efforts of a few passionate artists who laid the groundwork.
Long before Squeaky Wheel Pottery opened its doors in downtown Hastings, Ron Martino, the creative mind behind Mississippi Clayworks, was spinning his wheel and shaping the local ceramics community. A former electrical engineer who found his true calling in clay, Ron opened Mississippi Clayworks in 1991 as a labor of love—offering quality, hand-thrown, functional stoneware pottery at prices that made art accessible. His studio quietly became a local treasure where you could find everything from your favorite everyday mug to a thoughtful gift made right here in town.
Ron’s journey from technical career to full-time potter was not just inspiring—it was foundational. His passion, craftsmanship, and generosity influenced many in the area, including Squeaky Wheel Pottery’s Babett, who admired his dedication to creating beautiful, usable art. Though Ron has since passed, his legacy lives on in the growing clay culture of Hastings. Every spin of the wheel at Squeaky Wheel Pottery carries echoes of the community he helped cultivate.
And that foundation didn’t stop at studio doors. Over at Hastings High School, longtime art teacher Bert Casperson has been introducing students to the world of ceramics for decades. His classroom has served as the first touchpoint with clay for hundreds of local teens—some of whom later pursue art, and many who simply carry the confidence and creativity those classes sparked. If you’ve ever attended Hastings’ annual “Empty Bowls” charity event, you’ve seen his students’ work on full display, combining art with community service in the most heartwarming way.
Today, thanks to trailblazers like Ron Martino and dedicated educators like Bert Casperson, Hastings is enjoying a full-circle pottery renaissance. Squeaky Wheel Pottery is not only teaching the craft but also creating a space for people of all ages and skill levels to explore creativity with their own two hands. From kids spinning their first bowl to adults reconnecting with long-lost hobbies, the clay community in Hastings continues to grow—one wheel, one workshop, one handmade mug at a time.
Submitted image.
Join the Clay Community: You’re Invited!
If your idea of fun this year includes trying something new, unleashing your inner artist, or just meeting great people in a creative setting, then consider this your personal invitation. Come experience the joy of pottery right here in Hastings! Babett and her team at Squeaky Wheel Pottery are ready with clay, tools, and a warm welcome. There are classes and workshops open for registration now – and trust us, you’ll want to snag a spot before they fill up. Whether you’re signing your child up for a summer clay camp, letting your teen spin the wheel, or treating Mom to a Mother’s Day pottery date, you’ll be supporting a wonderful local business and nurturing the creative heartbeat of our town.
Hastings, let’s get those wheels spinning and those creative juices flowing! Stop by Squeaky Wheel Pottery’s studio at 209 Sibley Street or visit their website to check out the schedule and sign up. As Babett might say, don’t be shy – give it a spin. Grab an apron, jump in on the fun, and join your neighbors in crafting something beautiful (and totally share-worthy for the mantle or Instagram!). We’ll see you behind the wheel – the pottery wheel, that is. Happy crafting, Hastings, and welcome to the clay community! hastingsnow.com
Ready to roll? Sign up for a class, and let’s keep supporting local creativity. HastingsNow will be there cheering you on – and maybe even snapping a pic of your masterpiece for the next community spotlight!
