The beauty of colored wool, mohair and alpaca fibers is being celebrated this weekend. For the first time after two pandemic-driven years, the Black Sheep Gathering returns with hundreds of sheep, goats, alpacas and their fleeces from all over the West. Now in its 46th year as the oldest and largest festival of its kind west of the Mississippi, the Black Sheep Gathering offers more than 120 vendors and 50 workshops and demonstrations that cover everything from felting, patterned brioche and spindle spinning, not to mention free fiber art shows. There will be judging for all the animals and a large indoor (and air-conditioned) marketplace. Saturday night has a picnic where sheep aficionados bring their own food (no potluck this year) and hang out with fiber friends, followed by a Spinners Lead where fiber artists will show off their creations and the gorgeous animals that contributed their fiber. It’s time to once again celebrate natural colored animals and their fiber.

The Black Sheep Gathering begins 9 am to 6 pm Friday, June 24, continues 9 am to 5 pm Saturday, June 25, and 9 am to 4 pm Sunday, June 26 at the Linn County Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road East. Parking and admission is FREE. More information can be found at BlackSheepGathering.org.

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