Sheep & Fiber Festival

The third weekend of May will once again bring fiber fanatics flocking to Greene County as Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful stages its 16th Annual Waynesburg Sheep & Fiber Festival at the Greene County Fairgrounds.

A great chance to get your fingers into some fleece and fiber – this family event offers many interactive activities for all ages, and best of all – it’s FREE. Saturday & Sunday, May 18th and 19th, from 10am- 5pm each day, the fairgrounds will be filled with fiber fun, sheep, alpacas and other fiber producing critters, in addition to live music, demos & entertainment and plenty of food.

A juried crafts and fiber supply vendors show will offer real fiber enthusiasts a chance to buy everything from raw fleeces to hundreds of sheep & alpaca yarns and fibers, plus all the tools, supplies and equipment for artists and beautiful finished goods for the rest. And for those who want to learn, this festival is your destination!

The Fleece to Shawl Event is a real “Show Stopper” with 3-4 teams of skilled artisans competing with each other and the clock to transform a fleece fresh from the animal into a finished, ready to wear shawl. The competitive groups start at 10am with bags of raw fiber (wool &/or alpaca) and then begin cleaning, carding spinning, weaving & designing. By 2:30pm, they are showing off the finished goods as they sell at auction to the highest bidder. Anyone can buy! The fleece to shawl happens only on Saturday; don’t miss the auction at 2:30pm.

The Breed Pavilion is always popular as local and regional breeders show off up to a dozen different varieties of sheep raised for fiber and or meat production. You can touch & feel as you learn about the variety and differences between breeds. Get an up close look as professional shearers participate in Sheep Shearing Demos all weekend.

You’ll be inspired to pick up your hooks, needles or spindles when you see the Fiber Arts Competition featuring all handmade items from natural fibers. There is also a hand-spun skein competition. All fiber artists are welcome to enter both contests, complete rules and information is available on the festival website www.sheepandfiber.com. Or just come look and be inspired to see what you can do! Many vendors at the festival will sell unique natural and dyed fiber, roving, yarns and fiber arts tools. The Maker’s Space is back, where everyone who enjoys working in the fiber arts is invited to gather in a shady tent each afternoon to spin, knit, crochet, whatever your passion. This is an excellent place for newbies to observe and learn as well.

Fiber Arts Classes also will be offered at this year’s festival. These classes include making decorative Japanese Tamari balls, using wool roving to make ‘Shepherd’s Rugs’, and intermediate spinning. Spinners, weavers, and knitters will be demonstrating techniques and skill in the Fiber Arts Demos.

The Dog Shepherding Demonstration remains among the most popular spectator events, along with the Shepherd’s Lead Line contest. And everyone loves the Tri-State Area Chefs’ American Lamb Cooking Demos and Tasting events. Samples are free! Enjoy live music, too, including folk and acoustic and the popular Fuzzy Randolph Kiltie Band. In addition to the chefs’ samples, various food vendors are on site with goodies like lamb pitas, pulled lamb sandwiches, hot sausage hoagies, hot dogs, funnel cakes, cabbage and noodles, deep-fried Oreos and homemade desserts, too.

There are plenty of fiber related children's activities and pictures with lambs. Mark your calendars now to enjoy one or both days of the Waynesburg Sheep & Fiber Festival – celebrating our area’s heritage by learning, seeing, touching and doing! Remember - the third weekend of May each year at the Greene County Fairgrounds, with free parking & free admission. Find schedule and info at sheepandfiber.com, or call Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful at 724-627-8119.