Estes Park (Colorado) Wool Market -- It's Over Till Next Year

[birdlady1]

The Estes Park (Colorado) Wool Festival will be held June 16-17, 2007. This is one of the largest festivals in the country. Estes Park is the doorway to the Rocky Mountain National Park -- a national treasure that everyone should visit at least once!

 

Sheepdog herding and sheep shearing demonstrations are held throughout the weekend. There will be play-by-play explanations of herding and sheep-shearing techniques. One of the most popular attractions is the Children's Tent, where visitors can try their hands at rope weaving, spinning, and loom weaving.

 

Sheep, llama, alpaca, cashmere and angora goat competitions, as well as fleece contests are held throughout the weekend. Also included is a display of angora rabbits. English, Satin and German Giant Cross angora rabbits will be represented. For the shopper, more than 50 vendors will have fleeces, raw fibers, and crocheting yarns, as well as finished clothing and fiber-processing equipment for sale.

 

The weekend's activities are held at the fairgrounds located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 36 and Community Drive. Admission is free but parking is $3. (Sometimes you can find free parking in the surrounding neighborhood.) For more information, call the Estes Park Special Events office at 970-586-6104, or email: events@estes.org.

[lilpug]

I LOVE Estes Park it is soooooo beautiful there! If gas wasn't so darn expensive I would take a drive up there!

[birdlady1]

I LOVE Estes Park it is soooooo beautiful there! If gas wasn't so darn expensive I would take a drive up there!

 

Yes, it's probably a tank of gas round-trip (for a small car) but it's a wonderful way to spend the day.

[classic crochet]

Thanks for posting this! I can't wait to go! Do you know when Lyons is having their wool festival? The fudge alone is worth the gas!

[kmarcene]

I'll be there!!! I went last year too, I wouldn't miss it!

[birdlady1]

Thanks for posting this! I can't wait to go! Do you know when Lyons is having their wool festival? The fudge alone is worth the gas!

 

Didn't know Lyons had their own festival. Lyons is actually on the way to Estes Park so you can get your fudge and yarn on the same day!

[classic crochet]

I live 30 min. from Lyons and about 1 hour from Estes Park. We love to spend the day in Estes...such a pretty town! Lyons has one every year but I never hear about it until it's over.

On a side note http://www.shuttlesspindlesandskeins.com/ is a fantastic place over in Boulder. They have great classes and the biggest yarn selection I have seen anywhere in our area.

[birdlady1]

I live 30 min. from Lyons and about 1 hour from Estes Park. We love to spend the day in Estes...such a pretty town! Lyons has one every year but I never hear about it until it's over.

On a side note http://www.shuttlesspindlesandskeins.com/ is a fantastic place over in Boulder. They have great classes and the biggest yarn selection I have seen anywhere in our area.

 

Wow! I didn't know about that shop, unless I saw their booth at the Estes Park Wool Festival! I'll have to pay them a visit ... perhaps on the way up or on the way back from Estes! Have you ever been to Showers of Flowers on Colfax Avenue in Lakewood? Now THAT is a huge yarn store!

[Pharmagurumi]

Darn it! I was just in Colorado Springs visiting my fiance. I wish I could have gone to this.

[birdlady1]

Darn it! I was just in Colorado Springs visiting my fiance. I wish I could have gone to this.

 

You would have been a good 80 miles away (each way). So now you'll just have to drive up from Texas!

 

There was an article in the Travel Section of the 5/27/07 Denver Post about the festival though the writer readily admitted she couldn't tell the difference between a llama and a giraffe duhhh.

[classic crochet]

Wow! I didn't know about that shop, unless I saw their booth at the Estes Park Wool Festival! I'll have to pay them a visit ... perhaps on the way up or on the way back from Estes! Have you ever been to Showers of Flowers on Colfax Avenue in Lakewood? Now THAT is a huge yarn store!

I haven't been to that store. What kind of yarns do they carry? Do they have a website? Looks like I need to be heading down there Did you know Interweave Press is Loveland? I would love to visit them

[birdlady1]

If you're in or near Colorado, this is the weekend to head up to Estes Park for the country's largest wool festival. Please see message one for details. Bring lots of money ... and aspirin.

[birdlady1]

I went to the wool festival today and boy oh boy, did I have a ball! The drive up and back was magnificent, climbing thousands of feet into the green, lush mountains, and it was a wonderful reminder as to why I moved to Colorado. There was still snow on the highest mountain tops even though temperatures were in the 90s in Denver!

 

I loved petting the alpacas, llamas, goats, sheep and angora rabbits. I even got to pet a baby yak. I was just like a kid!

 

But the highlight, of course, was the huge vending area (over 100 vendors) where there was a ton of raw wool, roving, handmade items, and the most incredible yarn you'll ever see.

 

I consider myself lucky. I only spent about $100 on some fabulous hand-dyed wool yarn from a Texas vendor. I needed it like a hole in a head, but you know how that goes!

 

The festival continues on Sunday the 17th until 4pm.

[classic crochet]

Sounds like a wonderful time. My MIL died on that Thursday so I was unable to go. Maybe next year.

 

If I find any info on Lyons I will post it.

[birdlady1]

Sounds like a wonderful time. My MIL died on that Thursday so I was unable to go. Maybe next year.

 

If I find any info on Lyons I will post it.

 

Aww, so sorry about your loss. You missed a wonderful festival but, as you said, fortunately there's always next year.

[classic crochet]

Aww, so sorry about your loss. You missed a wonderful festival but, as you said, fortunately there's always next year.

Thank you for hugs. It was unexpected and we will miss her very much.