Founder & Local Events Expert
Pottery is one of those activities that pulls your focus completely into the moment. You’ll spend the first five minutes wondering if your bowl will collapse, and by the end, you’ll be surprised at how proud you are of it.
Betty’s Ceramics Club (Downtown Jersey City) – Drop-in sessions and beginner wheel-throwing classes, with both daytime and evening options.
Atacama Clay Studio (The Heights) – Hand-building and wheel classes in a relaxed, community-focused space. On January 24, they’re hosting a pet bowl workshop where you’ll make a custom ceramic bowl for your cat or dog.
New York New Jersey Academy of Ceramic Art (Bergen Lafayette) – Wheel-throwing and hand-building classes, plus an eight-week ceramic tile-making course running January through early March.
Blue Sky Pottery (Hoboken) – Introductory workshops and multi-week courses, plus flexible art classes for students with disabilities, adapted to individual interests and sensory preferences (parent or aide support required).
If you want to try printmaking, painting, or watercoloring, these studios make it easy.
Jersey City Art School (Downtown Jersey City) – Classes in figure drawing, abstract painting, and more. Starting the first week of January, they’re offering a six-week watercolor landscape course and an eight-week beginner drawing and painting class.
JC Print Room (Hamilton Park) – Printmaking-focused classes including screen printing, linocut, and letterpress. In January, they’re offering a beginner and intermediate etching class as well as a wearable patchwork transfer workshop.
Academy Darkroom (Bergen-Lafayette) – Film photography classes covering shooting, developing, and printing using analog techniques. Registration is currently open for an all-levels black-and-white course focused on darkroom skills and archival-quality prints.
Ivy Mane (Hoboken) – Hands-on workshops using concrete, resin, and other materials to create home décor pieces. On January 17, they’re hosting a leather journal cover workshop, along with a concrete pouring bubble dish workshop on January 17 and 18.
Instead of grabbing dinner out, these classes give you an evening with structure. You cook together, sit down to eat, and leave knowing how to make the dish again at home.
Hudson Table (Hoboken) – Hands-on cooking classes where you’ll work alongside others to prepare a full meal and then sit down together to eat it. On January 10, Jersey City Connects is hosting a hands-on pasta class focused on making fresh pappardelle and fettuccine. Hudson Table also hosts live chef competitions, where guests watch chefs cook multi-course meals and vote on the winner.
Atelier Sucré (Hoboken) – French-inspired baking workshops where you’ll learn techniques for croissants, macarons, tarts, and more. This month, they’re hosting a a sourdough bread class that walks through the full process, with time to bake your own loaf and take home a starter.
Saku Sushi Rolling Class (Hoboken) – Learn the art of sushi rolling from the pros at Saku. You’ll go home with new skills and a much better appreciation for what goes into a good sushi roll.
Board game nights work especially well during Dry January. You sit down, learn a game, and before you know it, you’re laughing with strangers over strategy and close calls.
Victory Point (Downtown Jersey City) – A board game cafe with hundreds of games to choose from and staff who’ll happily teach you how to play. Weekly Pokémon and One Piece card game events bring in regulars, but it’s still welcoming to newcomers.
Dungeon Books (Downtown Jersey City) – A bookstore and tabletop gaming cafe that hosts regular Dungeons & Dragons sessions and community events. In January, they’re hosting three book clubs focused on sci-fi and fantasy, horror, and fantasy romance.
Jersey City Connects Board Game Night (Journal Square) – We host monthly board game nights with access to 100+ games, including party games, social deduction games, and strategy games. The next one is Saturday, January 17 at Sip Studios in Journal Square.
Play Hoboken (Hoboken) – Board games, bowling, and billiards in one spot. They host regular game nights including Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Mahjong, and other tabletop games. On January 11, they’re holding a Pokémon Swap Meet, with access to air hockey, arcade games, and pinball.
Follow us on Instagram @JerseyCityConnects for monthly events and what’s happening around Jersey City!
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