KIRTLAND, Ohio – Fiberfest, a celebration of the fiber-producing animals and the various products that are made from their fiber, returns to Lake Farmpark June 29-30.
Visitors can learn about the many breeds of fiber-producing animals – llamas, alpacas, Angora rabbits, fiber goats, and more than 20 different breeds of sheep.
Displayed throughout the park will be products that are produced from these animals’ fibers and visitors can purchase natural fibers, fiber craft supplies, books, and hand-woven, hand-knitted, or handcrafted fiber products at the Fiberfest Marketplace.
The marketplace, held in the arena, showcases exhibitors from across the United States and Canada as they demonstrate a range of high-quality, natural fiber products from the raw fiber to finished products and demonstrate the various fiber processes.
Llama/alpaca focus. Returning to Fiberfest is Llama and Alpaca Fun Days, featuring a series of short presentations introducing visitors to all aspects of raising llamas and alpacas.
Watching alpaca obstacle courses, packing, and harnessing demonstrations will provide visitors a new appreciation for the handlers and their animals alike.
Activities scheduled throughout the two-day festival include sheep shearing presentations and Border Collie sheep herding demonstrations.
Visitors can get involved in hands-on demonstrations including knitting, spinning, weaving, dyeing, and carding. Children can also participate in hands-on crafts like creating felt balls, learn how to rope with Cowboy Ben and enjoying the music provided by strolling musicians.
Class lineup. The Fiberfest Forum offers over 50 courses, led by instructors from across the United States and Canada. The focus of these classes is hands-on fiber arts – weaving, spinning, crocheting, felting and knitting.
The preregistered classes include triangular frame loom weaving, Irish crochet, pressed flower stationary, rug hooking, felting Angora mittens, novelty plying, basketry, crazy quilt stitchery, a dinner/lecture presentation on bogolan fini (mud cloth) from Mali, plus a variety of other fiber art related classes.
The Forum will be held at Lake Farmpark June 27-30. For more information about the Forum, or to register for classes, call Lake Metroparks registration department at 440-358-7275, or visit the Lake Metroparks Web site at www.lakemetroparks.com.
Current exhibit. The fiber arts show, a collection of fiber-related handiwork, will be on display in the Visitor Center at Lake Farmpark June 12-30.
Art categories include weaving, knitting and crochet, surface design, felt, and mixed media. Entries are original, handmade works and are judged on the best use of raw materials, challenging technique, design and construction.
Fiberfest 2002 is open 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on June 29 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 30.
Admission to Lake Farmpark is $6 for ages 12 and up; $5 for seniors 60 and over; $4 for youth 2 to 11; and children under 2 are free. A special two-day pass to Fiberfest is available for an additional $1 per person.
Lake Farmpark is located at 8800 Chardon Road in Kirtland.
