Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival

We are already making plans for next year

The first Open Studios of the Season will be Friday and Saturday, June 6th and 7th, 10am- 2pm. Come see my slowly evolving space at Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center! There will be lots to see and enjoy. The center itself is a hub of learning and immersion in the natural world. It will do you good!!

This serene view is from the shuttle bus that took us from a remote parking lot (hay field) to the fair grounds.

Sheep! Wool! My People!

I went to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival on May 3, 2025. I was not prepared for the size and scope of the event, even though I had been reading the daily updates. When the organizers say “be prepared to wait for an hour to park your car” they are serious.

My husband and I had traveled to Virginia to see our son and his wife, but part of the purpose for the visit was to see what all the fuss is about. We have attended the Mountain and Valley Wool Festival in Santa Fe for four years, we thought we knew what to expect.

Thankfully, our kids were happy to drive us and spend the day at the Fair. We were joined by my niece, Miriam and my college roommate, Marsha.¹

The Howard County Fair grounds are spacious, several barns and paddocks are arranged along a road that divides the sweeping green fields. outside of the barns were tents and tables, live music, food stands and huge crowds of people!!

For our first stop (after food) we walked into the Fleece Barn. I had a moment of complete panic, I couldn’t even decide where to start. There were two, long tables spread with a feast of fibery goodness. A kindly volunteer chatted with me and gave me some encouragement. I fondled so many beautiful bags of wool before walking back out into the sunshine.²

Sheep Dog Trials

We made it just in time to see the second dog-trial demo. My photos do not capture the atmosphere of excitement as each dog took the sheep through their paces.

Hands on History

Our last stop, before heading out, was to visit the Viking group, Njörðr's Wanderers in the sheep shearing barn. They had a wonderful display, including a full sized warp weighted loom. These folks approach their work as experiential archaeologists and they are doing excellent work.

We agreed that one day is not enough, and plan to return next year. It was deeply satisfying to be in a place where the focus was on agriculture (sheep) and craft (tools and materials of all kinds). It clearly attracts a wide range of people, which may have been the best part.

Net year, we plan to arrive early and pack a picnic. And, I will be ready to select one fleece to bring home.

1. Marsha took most of these photos, especially the ones of the sheep in the Show Barn. I am so thankful she shared the day and her photos!

2. Before I left home, I took stock of the un-spun wool in my studio, and made a firm decision to hold off on buying a new fleece. I did collect contact information from shepherds who are willing to ship.