Shepherd's Harvest Sheep & Wool Festival Guide

October 31, 2026 / Marie

In short

Minnesota's largest sheep and wool festival.
Over 150 vendors specializing in fibers and accessories.
Live demonstrations of shearing, spinning, knitting, and weaving.
A family-friendly event celebrating all types of fiber.

The Shepherd’s Harvest Sheep & Wool Festival is much more than just a wool event: it is Minnesota's premier fiber celebration, attracting hundreds of enthusiasts every year, from absolute beginners to seasoned artisans. Organized since 1997, this unique festival brings together more than 150 specialized vendors offering animal fibers, knitting accessories, rare wools, and handcrafted creations.

Visitors can enjoy live demonstrations of shearing, spinning, knitting, and weaving, while workshops suitable for all skill levels allow you to learn new techniques or perfect your existing ones. The warm and friendly atmosphere also makes it a wonderful family outing, where sheep, alpacas, angora goats, and other wool-bearing animals come together in a celebration that honors all fiber species with equal passion.

Whether you are a knitter, a breeder, or simply curious to explore the world of wool, this festival offers total immersion into textile craftsmanship. The stalls are brimming with treasures to discover, from local wools to unique pieces signed by Minnesota artisans. Live demonstrations, such as spinning wheels or natural dyeing, reveal the secrets of ancestral savoir-faire, while hands-on workshops ensure you leave with new skills. A must-attend event for fiber lovers, blending tradition, creativity, and community.

The History of the Shepherd's Harvest Sheep & Wool Festival

The Shepherd’s Harvest Sheep & Wool Festival is a unique celebration that has established itself as the flagship fiber event in Minnesota, drawing thousands of visitors annually to the Washington County Fairgrounds in Lake Elmo. Founded on the principle of a friendly community gathering, it highlights textile crafts, wool-bearing animals, and traditional techniques, while providing a platform for local producers and creators.

The history of the Shepherd's Harvest Sheep & Wool Festival

Its originality lies in its ability to bring together everyone in the fiber chain—from breeders and artisans to hobbyist knitters—in a shared dynamic of learning and discovery. An immersive experience where wool becomes the common thread connecting a passionate community.

Born in 1997, the festival was the result of a volunteer initiative led by enthusiasts, with the support of the Minnesota Lamb and Wool Producers Association. From the very beginning, its mission has been to create a space where producers, consumers, and artisans can connect over wool and animal fibers.

Every edition, held over Mother's Day weekend, confirms its status as an unmissable event, attracting visitors from across the region. The dedication of volunteers remains at the heart of its organization, ensuring an authentic atmosphere and seamless logistics despite its constant growth.

Over the years, the festival has expanded its scope to include all animal fibers, going well beyond just sheep. While wool remains the centerpiece, visitors today will find stalls dedicated to angora, alpaca, llama, yak, and goat, reflecting the true diversity of natural textile resources.

This evolution has allowed the festival to reach an even wider audience while celebrating the rich expertise associated with every type of fiber. An inclusive approach that makes Shepherd's Harvest much more than just a wool festival: it is a celebration of fiber in all its forms.

An Immersive Experience: Much More Than a Wool and Fiber Festival

What makes this an essential Wool and fiber Festival is its warm and welcoming atmosphere, where enthusiasts, artisans, and novices meet through a shared fascination with animal fibers. The event transcends the traditional framework of a craft fair to become a true community celebration, where every visitor can touch, learn, and marvel at the diversity of the wools, yarns, and creations on display.

An immersive experience: Much more than a Wool and fiber Festival

The aisles are packed with booths run by local producers and artisans, while live demonstrations bring the space to life, creating a unique energy that attracts hundreds of participants every year. Here, craftsmanship becomes a sensory and social experience, where ancestral skills are shared alongside contemporary innovations.

Skills and Live Demonstrations

If you are searching for a "sheep shearing festival near me," this event is the perfect place to witness spectacular demonstrations, such as sheep shearing or sheepdog trials. These shows, often held outdoors, captivate the audience with their precision and live action, offering a real-world look at the professions related to sheep farming.

Visitors can also observe various sheep breeds and working dogs, sometimes showcased during training competitions that highlight the harmony between animal and handler. These moments, both educational and entertaining, strengthen the bond between the public and pastoral traditions while underscoring the importance of wool in these practices.

Competitions and Fiber Excellence

The fleece competition, the beating heart of the festival, rewards the best wools based on strict criteria of quality, texture, and color. Participants, often breeders or artisans, present their production to a jury of experts, while the public can admire the incredible diversity of the displayed fleeces.

Alongside these technical contests, artistic competitions showcase wool creations, such as garments or accessories, highlighting the creativity of the makers. These competitions, both fun and competitive, illustrate the excellence of local fiber and inspire visitors with mastered traditional techniques.

The Shepherd's Wool Market and Its Treasures

Wandering through the Shepherd’s wool market at the heart of the festival, where more than 150 fiber specialists gather, is a total immersion into the artisanal world of wool. These artisans, selected for their expertise, transform raw materials into unique creations ranging from virgin wools to hand-dyed yarns.

The Shepherd's wool market and its treasures

Their presence makes this market a must-visit for knitters in search of rare raw materials or inspiring tools, sourced directly from local producers or small workshops. Every stall tells a story, bridging ancestral traditions and modern innovations, creating a living dialogue between visitors and creators.

An Incredible Variety of Products

High-quality yarns and fibers
Spinning wheels and spinning supplies
Knitting and weaving notions
Byproducts such as lanolin or sheep cheese

The market offers an exceptional diversity of products, covering the entire textile creation chain. You will find raw wool (heathered, naturally dyed, or colored), premium yarns for knitting or crochet, as well as accessories like needles, wooden crochet hooks, or artisanal looms.

Exhibitors also feature hybrid materials, such as wool-cotton or wool-silk blends, meeting the needs of knitters looking for original textures. For both beginners and experts, this market offers ready-to-use kits (including patterns and instructions) or samples to test specific techniques.

Among the local specialties, the market highlights wool-derived products that go beyond knitting. You can discover sheep cheeses (such as "Wool Cheddar" or sheep's milk aged cheeses), lanolin soaps with soothing properties for the skin, or even natural cosmetics (lip balms, creams) enriched with wool extracts.

These products reflect the complete utilization of the fiber, from shepherd to artisan, and appeal as much to knitting enthusiasts as to those passionate about slow living. Purchasing these specialties also directly supports breeders and processors in Minnesota, strengthening the link between the festival and its community.

Planning Your Visit to the MN Sheep and Wool Festival

For your trip to the MN Sheep and Wool Festival in 2026, please note that the event will take place on May 9 and 10, with a day dedicated to workshops on the preceding Friday (dates and times to be confirmed on the official website). The festival is open Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM and Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM, in a location easily accessible from Minnesota.

Admission is $5 per person, while children under 8 years old get in for free. No reservations are required for general visitors, but Friday workshops may require pre-registration. Detailed practical information (parking, ADA access, etc.) is centralized on the official festival website.

Detail	Information
Location	Washington County Fairgrounds, Lake Elmo, MN
Admission	$5 ($0 for children under 8)
Friday	Workshops only
Saturday	9 AM - 5 PM
Sunday	10 AM - 4 PM
Animals	No dogs allowed

FAQ

Where is the festival held? It takes place every year at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.

How much is admission? Admission is $5 per person, and free for children aged 8 and under.

Can I bring my dog? No, dogs are not allowed on the fairgrounds during the festival.

What types of fiber can I find there? In addition to sheep's wool, you will find alpaca, llama, goat, yak, and angora rabbit fibers.

Are there activities for children? Yes, the festival offers free activities suitable for the whole family.