News

51st Annual Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

Posted: May 12, 2022

May 4 & 5, 2024
8:30AM – 6PM Saturday
8:30AM – 5PM Sunday
Rain or shine!
Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship, MD

And the winner is…

Posted: May 26, 2015

There’s still time to get a catalog.

Posted: March 18, 2015

49th Annual Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

Posted: June 15, 2021

  • May 7 & 8, 2022
  • RAIN OR SHINE
  • Welcome back!

Welcome to the 48th Annual Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

Posted: May 1, 2021

  • A virtual online festival
  • May 1 & 2, 2021
  • Staying home and staying safe until 2022

48th Annual Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

Posted: December 5, 2020

  • A virtual online festival
  • May 1 & 2, 2021
  • Staying home and staying safe until 2022

Welcome to the Virtual Online Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

Posted: May 1, 2020

Welcome! We're glad you are here to help us celebrate all things sheep and wool, apart yet together.

Family Fun at Home

Posted: April 23, 2020

Welcome to our Family Fun at Home page! Since we won’t be having any in-person Family Activities this year, we’ve put together a list of things you can experience from home as part of our 2020 Virtual Online Festival.


View a variety of wool fact sheets on topics such as Wool Qualities 101, Wool History, Wool Processing, Wool and the Carbon Cycle, and How Wool Reduces Climate Impact at https://www.americanwool.org/resource-2.

Read the Sheep Reporter newsletter for kids.

Explore different breeds of sheep at https://sheepusa.org/resources-materials-breeddirectory.

Watch some videos about sheep and wool:

Learn a new skill by taking a virtual class! Kellie Nuss, chairman of our Family Activities Committee, has made videos of the following classes that would have happened in our Family Activities Tent. These videos are suitable for all ages (including adults):

Maryland Sheep & Wool Virtual Online Festival

Posted: May 1, 2020

Apart Yet Together
May 2 & 3, 2020

Join us for our Virtual Online Festival, May 2nd and 3rd!

Posted: May 1, 2020

Since we won’t be getting together in person this year, we are hosting a virtual online festival instead. We are working on the following components for festival weekend, May 2nd and 3rd:

  • Virtual Vendor Marketplace
  • Virtual Fleece Sale
  • Virtual Junior Spinning Competition
  • Virtual Family Activities Tent
  • Online Swag Store

Our home base will be the new Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival Online Community group on Facebook. This group was set up to allow the greater festival community to interact, inspire, and share with one another. Anyone is welcome to post in this group. However, if you want to post about items for sale, you must be a current Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival vendor or be part of in the virtual fleece sale.

Virtual Vendor Marketplace – We will be creating an enhanced vendor list on our website, which will include links to online stores for those vendors that have them. Many vendors will also have videos available giving you a tour of their “virtual vendor booth”, as well as special offers and discounts for the virtual festival weekend.

Virtual Fleece Sale – Our Fleece Sale committee will be contacting producers who have brought fleeces to sell …

2024 Festival Gear Now Available

A selection of 2024 Festival Merchandise is now available. We have short-sleeved t-shirts, long-sleeved hooded t-shirts, three styles of bags, and two sizes of posters. Click "Read More" for details on how you can get yours!

Schedule of Events

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Event Type

Day

The Festival would not be possible without volunteer help. Please consider giving a couple of hours of your time so we can continue to make this the great event it is. Volunteer opportunities start with set-up day, continue through t-shirt folding during the week and everything that needs to be done on Festival weekend, and culminates with tear down on Sunday night. Head on over to the sign-up site at www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0945ABA72BAAFA7-49093365-2024 to choose the tasks and times that work best for you!Everyone who volunteers in advance to work on Festival weekend receives free admission to the Festival on the day they volunteer. Everyone who volunteers also gets a volunteer shirt, a unique souvenir which is NOT available to the general public.Additional information about volunteering can be found at sheepandwool.org/participate/volunteer/. #mdsw #mdsw2024 #volunteersrock ... See MoreSee Less
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We are excited to welcome Meagan Condon to Maryland Sheep and Wool this year. She is teaching several half-day spinning classes including Spin the Yarn You Need: Understanding Wheel Adjustments, What the Fluff? All About Loft, Drape or Disaster, Divide and Conquer- Deconstructing Double-Coated Fleece, What to Do with that Braid You Just Bought, and Why Does Wool Do That? Meagan is an internationally published writer and fiber artist with extensive experience teaching the art of making yarn. She resides on twenty acres outside of Kansas City where she has a fiber studio with space for growing dye and fiber plants and exploring her vast fiber interests including the microscopy of fiber, breed studies, and the science behind textiles. Over the last decade, Meagan has been making a name for herself teaching at fiber retreats and conferences across North America. Meagan is a prolific writer, and her articles have appeared in Ply, Spin-Off, and The Wheel magazines. Follow her on Social Media at Luthvarian Fiber Arts. Limited seats are available for her classes...sign up today at www.lessonface.com/arts-lessons/maryland-sheep-wool-festival#mdsw #mdsw2024 #marylandsheepandwoolfestival #handspinning #handspinningyarn #handspinningclass ... See MoreSee Less
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Information about this year's auctions is now available on our website:--Saturday auction of spinning and weaving equipment: sheepandwool.org/festival/auction-of-spinning-and-weaving-equipment/--Sunday auction of sheep equipment and supplies: sheepandwool.org/festival/auction-of-sheep-equipment-and-supplies/The auctioneer who has done the Saturday auction for the past several years is returning. He will be taking care of both auctions this year, and he will also be bringing a team which will be handling the entire process, from check-in to check-out. We have a new commission structure, and we've gathered some information from veteran attendees to help everyone get the most out of the experience:--Tips for Sellers: sheepandwool.org/tips-for-sellers-auction-of-spinning-and-weaving-equipment/--Tips for Buyers: sheepandwool.org/tips-for-buyers/I also hear that the Saturday auction is a great place to people watch, even if you aren't buying or selling! ... See MoreSee Less
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