Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival
Click here to view map of fairgrounds and building maps with vendor locations.
Activities & Events
The Festival offers talks and demos by shepherds, vendors, artisans and special guests. Some activities are ongoing and others are scheduled for an hour or so at a specific time. These events are offered free of charge.
Our Shepherd Talks are geared towards the needs of owners – and prospective owners – of small ruminants and other fiber animals, along with those who create with natural fibers. Featured workshop presenters may include veterinarians, fiber processors, small ruminant owners and others who are willing to share their knowledge and experience. Most Shepherd Talks take place in the Animal Barn Tent, across from the Animal Barn.
This year, we have several Camelid-related talks that will take place in the Judging Arena with the Camelid Display.
The Vendor Demos feature Marketplace Vendors who have volunteered to showcase their talents, crafting abilities and/or fiber products. These brief demos take place in the Vendor Pavilion.
The Festival also features special guests who present talks or demos on their area of expertise in the world of natural fibers, small ruminants or other related field. We invite you to attend these talks and demos to enjoy and learn.
Hands-on Demos are mini fiber arts classes that charge a small materials fee. These demos are held in Heritage Hall.
Activities – Saturday, October 5
| Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 10:30am | Grapefruit & Gardenia with Erika Field | Vendor Pavilion |
| 11:00 | How Shepherding Changed My Life w/Paula Aarons, The Dancing Pony Sheep Farm | Animal Barn Tent |
| 11:00 | Camelid Q&A w/Ron Miller, Snowshoe Farm Alpacas | Judging Arena |
| 11:30 | Knit Sisu with Jill Tamminen | Vendor Pavilion |
| Noon | Stitch Marker Swap Meetup | Vendor Pavilion |
| Noon | Starting a Fiber Farm with Krista Diego, Wiggly Goat Farm | Animal Barn Tent |
| Noon – 1:00pm | The Knit Doctor is In! with Karen Guetti | Vendor Pavilion |
| 1:00 | Learn Sheep and Wool Language w/Sue Carey, Marble Meadows Farm | Vendor Pavilion |
| 1:00 | Alpaca Fleece Evaluation w/Jennifer Lutz, Cas-Cad-Nac Farm | Judging Arena |
| 2:00 | A Quest to Knit in all of Vermont’s Public Libraries with Hannah Miller | Vendor Pavilion |
| 2:00 | Shearing Angora Bunnies w/Diane Droescher, Laurel Ledge Farm Fibers | Animal Barn Tent |
| 3:00 | Starcrossed Knits with Tamara Jordan | Vendor Pavilion |
Activities – Sunday, October 6
| Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11:00am | Gotlands, Unique Swedish Breed with Chuck Goodling, VT Grand View Farm | Animal Barn Tent |
| Noon | Stitch Marker Swap Meetup | Vendor Pavilion |
| Noon | Introduction to Angora Goats w/Christine Staffa, Wiseacres | Animal Barn Tent |
| Noon – 1:00pm | The Knit Doctor is In! w/Karen Guetti | Vendor Pavilion |
| 1:00 | Learn About Sheepskin Tanning Process w/Derek Andersen, Vermont Natural Tannery | Vendor Pavilion |
| 1:00 | Skirting Wool Fleeces for Scouring and Processing with Lilly Marsh, Hudson Valley Textile Project | Animal Barn Tent |
| 1:00 | Camelid Q&A w/Ron Miller, Snowshoe Farm Alpacas | Judging Arena |
| 2:00 | A Quest to Knit in all of Vermont’s Public Libraries with Hannah Miller | Vendor Pavilion |
| 2:00 | Our Adventures with Heritage Breed Sheep and the Youth Conservationist Program! with Natalie Layn, Layn Farms, & Olivia Gordon, Rooted Hearts Homestead | Animal Barn Tent |
| 3:00 | Learn the Basics of Helical Knitting w/Stephanie Griego, Dirty Water Dyeworks | Vendor Pavilion |
Hands-On Demos
There is no charge to attend in the Hands-On Demos, but there is a materials fee to be paid directly to the instructor. These classes are limited in size, and are first come. Once the class is full, the door will be closed. Demos will be held in Heritage Hall.
These mini-workshops are a great way to learn a new fiber arts skill with a smaller time commitment than a fiber arts class. We are offering the following Hands-On Demos this year:
