The Potters’ Guild of Las Cruces (PGLC) is bringing the community together for the 33rd Annual Empty Bowls fundraiser, benefiting El Caldito Soup Kitchen. The event takes place Friday, October 17, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 225 W. Griggs Ave.
Jan Preston Archey, a founding member and president emeritus of PGLC, said the event reflects the power of shared effort. “We’re coming together as a community to help our community,” she said. “These bowls were made by a community. Somebody prepared the clay, threw the bowl, loaded it in the kiln, unloaded it, glazed it.”
Each guest will select a handcrafted bowl to keep and enjoy soup and bread donated by local restaurants.
Quick Facts
- Date: Friday, October 17, 2025
- Time: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Location: St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 225 W. Griggs Ave., Las Cruces, NM
- Tickets: $25 per person. Includes soup, bread, beverage, and a handcrafted bowl to take home.*
- Beneficiary: El Caldito Soup Kitchen
*One ticket funds about 7.25 meals at El Caldito, according to organizers.
What is Empty Bowls?
Empty Bowls is a community event that blends creativity and compassion. Guests select a handcrafted ceramic bowl made and donated by local potters from the Potters’ Guild of Las Cruces (PGLC), then enjoy soup and bread from some of Las Cruces’s favorite restaurants. Every bowl purchased helps fund meals for neighbors who rely on El Caldito Soup Kitchen.
Art teacher John Hartom started Empty Bowls in 1990 at Lahser High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit with a population of about 4,000. John wanted to participate in a local food drive, so he asked his students to make ceramic bowls.
He then invited the school faculty to a soup lunch and requested donations. His idea caught on, and today Empty Bowls events can be found worldwide.
Organized by the Potters’ Guild of Las Cruces in partnership with El Caldito, the event draws hundreds of attendees each year. What began as a small art-driven fundraiser has become one of Las Cruces’s most recognized community traditions. Visitors take home their chosen bowl as a reminder that their contribution helps fill someone else’s.
Archey has been a leading volunteer during every Las Cruces Empty Bowls, helping make it the oldest and most successful fundraiser of its kind in New Mexico. “I’m all about mission and public service,” said Archey, who has been a potter for more than 40 years, “What a blessing it is to be able to use one’s talent to make somebody else’s life better.”
When and where is the 2025 event?
Empty Bowls 2025 takes place Friday, October 17, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 225 W. Griggs Ave.
The event draws a hungry lunchtime crowd, with lines forming outside the church waiting for the doors to open. However, busy volunteers are constantly restocking the tables, making sure there are exciting bowl options for every attendee.
Takeaway: No matter when you arrive, there will be a beautiful bowl for you to select.
How to Attend
Tickets for Empty Bowls 2025 are $25 per person. Each ticket includes:
- One handcrafted ceramic bowl to take home
- Soup donated by local restaurants
- Bread and a beverage
Tickets can be purchased in advance at various locations around Las Cruces and Mesilla, online, or at the door on the day of the event.
How does your ticket help El Caldito?
Each $25 ticket equals roughly 7.25 meals served at El Caldito Soup Kitchen. In 2024, the event raised about $42,000, and the 2025 goal is set at $45,000, enough to provide thousands of lunches for community members facing food insecurity.
El Caldito serves lunch six days a week and offers takeaway meals on Saturdays. According to the organization, demand for meals continues to rise, making fundraisers like Empty Bowls essential to sustaining daily operations.
Every ticket helps El Caldito keep its doors open and its kitchen running year-round.
Where can I buy tickets in advance?
Advance tickets are available online through the Potters’ Guild of Las Cruces and at several local businesses, including:
- Be Sew Creative: 1601 E. Lohman
- Color Your World: 540 N. Telshor
- Save Mart: 495 N. Valley Dr.
- The Potteries in Mesilla: 2260 Calle de Santiago
- New Digs Clothing Exchange: 1021 E. Amador
- Agave Artists’ Cooperative Gallery in Mesilla: 2250 Calle de Albino
- Twisted Sugar: 4165 White Sage Arc
Tickets can also be purchased directly from Potters’ Guild members.
Summary: Purchasing in advance speeds entry to this popular lunchtime event.
What special fundraisers are part of Empty Bowls 2025?
- Wine & Dine Gift Bags: For $50, attendees can pick a decorated bag containing a surprise meal voucher and a bottle of wine. The contents vary, and the mystery adds to the fun. Quantities are limited and typically sell out fast.
- Online Silent Auction: Curated pottery pieces and donated community items are available through Mesilla Valley Estate Sales, October 11 – 21, closing at 6 p.m. The auction allows supporters to bid remotely, even if they can’t attend the Empty Bowls event.
Who organizes Empty Bowls?
The Potters’ Guild of Las Cruces leads the event with support from El Caldito Soup Kitchen and dozens of community volunteers. Local artists typically create more than 1,000 bowls, spending months preparing pieces of every shape, color, and glaze style.
Their collective effort ensures that nearly all proceeds go directly to feeding those in need.
Summary: Each handcrafted bowl represents hours of volunteer artistry and a tangible act of community care.
How the event works (step-by-step)
- Purchase a $25 ticket.
- Choose your bowl. The display tables feature hundreds of one-of-a-kind designs.
- Enjoy lunch. Soups are donated by dozens of Las Cruces restaurants, paired with bread and a drink.
- Take your bowl home. It serves as a reminder that your lunch made a difference.
Volunteers handle everything from greeting guests to wrapping your beautiful new ceramic bowl to take home. The atmosphere stays cheerful and welcoming, with familiar faces returning year after year.
Takeaway: The process is simple, efficient, and built entirely around community participation.
FAQs
Q: What time should I arrive?
A: Doors open at 11 a.m., and the event ends at 2 p.m. You may find that lines are shorter after the event opens rather than right at 11 a.m.
Q: Can I attend if I didn’t buy in advance?
A: Yes. Day-of tickets are available at the door. Watch for directional signage showing where to enter.
Q: Does my ticket include a bowl?
A: Yes. Each $25 ticket includes one handcrafted bowl to take home.
Q: Is there an online auction?
A: Yes. The 2025 auction runs October 11 – 21, closing at 6 p.m., hosted by Mesilla Valley Estate Sales.
Q: How many meals does my ticket fund?
A: Your $25 ticket provides approximately 7.25 meals, based on El Caldito’s meal cost estimates.
Q: Who benefits from the event?
A: All proceeds support El Caldito Soup Kitchen, which serves free, hot lunches six days a week and takeout meals on Saturdays.
Q: Can I get my soup to go?
A: You can pick your bowl and take your soup to go.
Final Takeaway
Empty Bowls reflects the best of Las Cruces, with artists, restaurants, and volunteers working together to fight hunger. The event helps feed the hungry and feed hearts across the community throughout the year.
Posted by LasCruces.com
