WE ARE BACK! After not being able to have the festival for the past two years, we are back and ready to have some fun with fiber. The phrase “fiber festival” may conjure up images of healthy salads and crunchy granola, however, in this case, it’s all about animal and plant fibers that play a very important part in our daily lives.
The fiber arts are alive and well, and can be seen in full display at the Central Pennsylvania Fiber Festival, to be held on Saturday and Sunday, May 14-15, 2022, at the Lycoming County Fairgrounds in Hughesville, PA. A team of organizers have been hard at work preparing for this yearly event, which includes an array of vendors featuring items such as hand dyed and farm raised yarns, roving for hand spinning and needle felting, felted items, wooden items, toys, baskets, finished products — the list goes on.
Most of the vendors at the festival are from right here in beautiful Pennsylvania. This presents a fantastic opportunity for fiber fans and spectators to pick up locally produced goods for that special, one-of- a-kind gift for a family member or friend. A good many of the attending vendors raise their own fiber animals, like sheep, alpacas, llamas, goats, and angora rabbits, and have their fiber processed by local woolen mills.
While the majority of the vendors will have yarns and roving, there are vendors with other natural products. Attending are wonderful woodworkers, handmade soap makers, hand poured candles, fabric creations, jewelry, woven baskets and so much more.
A fleece sale will also be held, for those die-hard wool aficionados, who prefer to process their fiber from start to finish on their own, OR just like to purchase wool in its raw form and take it to a local mill for custom processing.
Also on site will be a variety of demonstrations. We are very excited this year to have a sheep herding dog demonstration. You can see the animals do their job on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. or Sunday at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. In addition to this, on Saturday only from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. there will be a rug hooking demonstration with the opportunity for the public to try this craft as well as see finished items. Both Saturday and Sunday, outside the building there will be a blacksmith set up forging various items. Inside both days you can see folks ‘cranking’ socks on antique sock machines, ladies bobbin weaving and making lace, the local guild will be doing a variety of things such as weaving, spinning, knitting and more and finally you will be able to see how a flatbed knitting machine works. Some of the vendors will also be doing various fiber arts in their booths.
You can also enter the ticket auction to win great prizes. Each vendor donates an item of their choice. This helps the non-profit festival raise money to continue coming back each year. And this year is special. Bring a non-perishable food item to donate and receive one ticket free for the auction. Food donations will be made to Son Light House in Muncy, Sojourner Truth Ministries in Williamsport and Helping Hands in Wyalusing.
It’s a great opportunity to spend the day and talk to people that are very knowledgeable in their field and what they do. The perfect time to come out and try something new and see what the world of fiber is all about.
A printed program, listing all attending vendors, will be available. Admission and parking are free. All vendors are indoors. Food vendors will be on the premises both days. Hours are Saturday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Restrooms on the premises.
For more information and updates, please visit http://www.centralpennfiberfest.com.
