Customers are treated like longtime friends as they mingle with artists on the Omaha North Hills Pottery Tour. They snack on warm soup and homemade pizza while browsing (or buying) spectacular art pottery. The increasingly popular October event still feels like a discovery. Although you can take any route you like, most people start at the historic Florence Mill north of downtown Omaha. There, a handful of artists display their mugs, plates and vases amid the backdrop of the restored 1847 mill. Bowls rest on hay bales and vintage advertisements provide nostalgia. The traditional second stop is Dennison Pottery, located in a lovely wooded area of Ponca Hills. Live music makes the event seem like a special occasion, and complimentary soups, coffee, cocoa and wine make it downright welcoming. Spend anywhere from $45 to $750. Things can get a little crowded at the next stop, the tiny Too Far North wine bar-shop in Fort Calhoun. Tables are removed to make way for pottery collections from two artists, and the rest of the cozy seating fills up quickly as customers try a selection of Nebraska-made wines, cheeses and chocolates. The traditional last stop is Big Table Studios in Herman; the drive there offers some beautiful rural views. Artists here trend toward a more natural approach, using few glazes and digging clay locally. The seed pod and branch shapes are inspiring, and the artists will gladly show and explain their kiln.