Sheep & Wool Festival

While we may view 46 years as a long run, the Festival reflects traditions reaching back to the domestication of sheep some 10,000 years ago. Over thousands of years of human history people all over the world have shepherded and selectively bred sheep for various desired characteristics for food and fiber. Their work, their vision, their ingenuity and appreciation of the utility and aesthetic qualities of sheep and wool are the foundation of the spectacular array of breeds, and types and uses of wool, and technologies for working with wool, that we gather here to enjoy together. The festival connects us to this long history, to its diverse geographical and cultural roots, and to each other when we gather to immerse ourselves in sheep and wool. To us, this reflects an inherent inclusivity that is so deeply woven into the fabric of the Festival that perhaps we forget to say it.

Exhibitors Profile

Exhibitor will showcase providing an accessible sales outlet for producers of quality handspinning fleeces, and offering a consistent source of desirable wool fiber for spinners, felters, and practitioners of wool crafts of all kinds and levels of experience, a tool for 1) connecting producers to a good market for quality product; 2) as an educational tool and incentive to get producers to optimize the quality of their wool clips by raising their standards for pre-shearing and shearing management, wool handling (skirting, storing, presenting); 3) educating and recruiting knowledgeable volunteers to help connect buyers with the best fleeces to meet their needs; and 4) educating buyers and the general public about the qualities of wool of all types, and what to look for to make a good purchase and much more.