Hallockville Museum Farm Partnering With Long Island Livestock Company For Annual Spring Fleece And Fiber Fair

On Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21, The Fleece and Fiber Fair is back at Hallockville Museum Farm in Riverhead.

“The Fleece and Fiber Fair celebrates the fiber arts and fiber community on Long Island. This event is co-produced with Long Island Livestock Company,” noted Lisa A. Pepe, Assistant Director of Hallockville Museum Farm. “This year, we are looking forward to welcoming over 20 fiber vendors selling everything from roving, hand-spun and hand-dyed yarn, soaps, rug hooking supplies, haberdashery and craft supplies to finished products such as shawls, hats and socks.”

Goods from over 20 vendors will be on display. (Photo: Linda Burke)

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., fairgoers will enjoy a wide array of fiber arts activities, from learning how local artisans use wool to create magnificent pieces to demonstrations and hands-on learning to perusing handmade items in the Naugles Barn Fiber Market.

“As a Museum Farm we are always looking for a way to engage and share the traditional arts with the public. To this end we will feature demonstrations on weaving, woodcarving, quilting, carding and spinning, felting, rug hooking and more. It’s a wonderful family-friendly event with so much to experience,” shared Pepe. “We have a sheep herding demonstration with some very hardworking sheep dogs, shearing demonstrations featuring llamas and sheep and a special historic fiber tour.”

This year’s demonstrations and activities will include animal displays – where you can meet the sheep, llamas, alpacas and angora rabbits that provide the fleece and fiber needed to make fiber goods like yarn – basketweaving, sheep herding, sheep and llama shearing, carding and spinning, dyeing, knitting, needle felting, rug-hooking, weaving, quilting, and more.

Attendees can learn how fiber is harvested during informative demonstrations by an expert shearer. (Photo: Linda Burke)

“For the first time we are also featuring special fiber arts related workshops. All workshops require advanced registration and will be led by expert teachers,” added Pepe. “We have workshops on quilting techniques, embroidery, weaving, knitting and crochet. This is a great time to learn a new skill, create with fiber and discover a hidden talent!”

Fair vendors will include Barbara Ringewald, Handweaver, Bay Haven Short Tails, Blind Buck Farm, Brooklyn Haberdashery, Bumble Bee Primitives, Color Craze Fiber, Cozy Color Works, Dan Tracy Designs, Green Mountain Hooked Rugs, Groovy Hues Fibers, Hampton Artistic Yarns, Hamptons Yarn, JackPie Fiber, Jensewntell, Lambstrings Yarn, Long Island Livestock Company, Looliemom Fiber Arts, Joy Muller-McCoola/ Sandpiper Yarns, RebeckysBoutique, The Paisley Studio, Peconic Ruggers, and Utopia Bath, while Pizza Rita and 27 Eats Food Truck are among featured food vendors.

Fairgoers can learn how plant fibers are woven into baskets and other functional items. (Photo: Linda Burke)

Admission to The Fleece and Fiber Fair is $6 for adults, $4 for ages 5 to 12, and free for ages 4 and under. Family rates are also available. The Fair will take place rain or shine.

Additionally, for those that reside in New York City or near who want to make the trek out, but are lacking transportation, Hallockville is offering a Long Island Fleece and Fiber Fair Bus on Saturday. Tickets are $45 per person and the bus leaves Manhattan at 8:30 a.m. and departs the Fair at 4:30 p.m.

Hallockville Museum Farm is located at 6038 Sound Avenue in Riverhead. For more information, call 631-298-5292 or visit hallockville.com.