⚱️Spinning Clay & Shimmering Glass at the ACGA Clay & Glass Festival

Date: Saturday, July 11, 2026
Time: 10:45 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Palo Alto Art Center
Paratransit Drop-off: 1313 Newell Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
RSVP by: Wednesday, July 8th

Get ready to immerse yourself in a world of stunning color and creativity! Breaking Boundaries is heading to the annual ACGA Clay & Glass Festival, the largest juried ceramics and glass event on the West Coast.

We will explore incredible outdoor exhibit booths showcasing over 130 premier California artisans. Marvel at breathtaking hand-blown glass, unique home decor, and intricate sculptures. We will also watch a thrilling, live "Pottery Throwdown" competition!

The festival features various local food trucks parked on-site, so we can easily grab lunch and find a shaded rest area to chat, eat, and admire our favorite artistic finds together. Admission to the festival is entirely free.

🕑 Schedule
10:45 AM: Meetup near the front entrance, sign-in, and divide into smaller groups as necessary
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Explore the outdoor art booths and participate in the interactive workshops
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM: Gather together at the food truck courtyard for lunch
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM: Attend the educational talk on Glass Blowing by Chris Johnson
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM: Gather together to watch the exciting live Pottery Throwdown competition!
4:30 PM: Head home

♿️ Accessibility

• Terrain: The festival is entirely outdoors on the flat, level grounds surrounding the Palo Alto Art Center. Pathways are primarily paved, wide, and smooth, making it highly navigable for wheelchairs, scooters, and walkers. Some booths may border even, flat lawns or natural garden dirt.
• Restrooms: Fully ADA-compliant, accessible restrooms equipped with mechanical push-bar doors are available inside the main Palo Alto Art Center building.
• Seating: Shaded rest spots and seating areas are distributed across the venue grounds.
• Activities: The interactive "Clay for All" booths feature specialized accessible equipment, including a wheelchair-accessible potter's wheel.

🚘 Parking & Transit

• Paratransit: There's a designated turn-around zone right in front of the main entrance for pick-up and drop-off.
• Accessible Parking: Free, dedicated ADA-compliant parking stalls are located directly outside the Newell Road entrance and in the larger south parking lot by the auditorium.
• General Parking: Free neighborhood street parking is available, and the festival also provides a paid valet parking service directly at the venue lot if standard spaces fill up.

✅️ What to Bring

• Bring your own reusable bag to carry any art finds or goodies (Palo Alto retailers do not provide single-use plastic bags)
• Sun protection (brimmed hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen)
• Cooling products for heat sensitivities (cooling towels, personal misting fans)
• Bug repellent for the outdoor garden spaces
• Light jacket or layers (in case of morning coastal fog or breeze)
• Funds for the food trucks and the artist marketplace

⚠️ Liability Waiver
By joining and attending events, you agree that participation is voluntary and at your own risk. Breaking Boundaries is a peer-led social group and does not provide medical, personal care, or transportation services.

Click here for Participation Disclaimer

🙏Thank You to our Sponsor!
A huge thank you to Q-Bit Wellness for supporting Breaking Boundaries! Their commitment to community health and inclusion helps make events like this possible.