Fiber festivals bring together producers and vendors of mostly animal fibers such as wool, qiviut, camelid, mohair, and angora) is displayed. Other fibers include silk, linen, and some synthetic fibers. The festival caters to knitters, spinners, felters, crocheters, and dyers in the United States. Attendees learn and see different materials, techniques, and patterns. Fiber festivals also provide a meeting place for people who otherwise know one another only from Internet lists and blogs.
Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, in East Friendship, Maryland, the first full weekend in May. It is largest and longest-running showcase of domestic sheep and wool in the United States. The festival was started in 1973. [1]
NH Wool Arts Tour 4 stops in the Monadnock Region of NH. October 8th and 9th. www.woolartstournh.com
New York State Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, New York, in October. The festival was first held in 1972. [2]
Spin Spa in Portland, Maine, in mid-February [3]
Connecticut Sheep and Wool Festival in Connecticut, the last weekend in April [4]
New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, on Mother’s Day weekend [5]
Massachusetts Sheep and Wool Festival in Cummington, at the end of May [6]
Fiber Arts and Animals Festival in Marshall, Michigan on the second or third Saturday in June. [7]
Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival in Essex Junction, Vermont, in September [8]
Southern Indiana FiberArts Festival in Corydon, Indiana, the third Saturday in October [9]
Shepherd's Harvest Festival in Minnesota, each Mother's Day weekend in May. [10]
Fiber Arts Festival in North Dakota, the fourth weekend in July. [11]
Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival in Lexington, Kentucky, the middle of May. [12]
Indiana Fiber and Music Festival in Clarksville, Indiana, the weekend before the Kentucky Derby. [13]
Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival in Berryville, Virginia, the end of September. [14]
Finger Lakes Fiber Festival in Hemlock, New York, the middle of September. [15]
Among these regional fiber festivals, the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival and the New York Sheep and Wool Festival are the largest.
Sneffels Fiber Festival in Ridgway, Colorado September 13 and 14, 2013 sponsored by the Weehawken Creative Arts Center in Ridgway.
Upper Midwest Fall Fiber Festival in Hopkins, Minnesota November 2nd, 2013 (always the 1st Saturday in November.) www.fallfiberfestival.com
