october, 2023
21oct(oct 21)9:00 am22(oct 22)4:00 pm
Event Details
2023 New York State Sheep & Wool Festival
Check out a sheep or goat show, shop for yarn or a gorgeous sweater, take a knitting class and more on October 24 & 25 in Rhinebeck, NY.
It’s one of the most beloved events in the Hudson Valley. The New York State Sheep & Wool Festival is always held every third weekend in October at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY; This year, the Festival is happening on October 24 & 25—rain or shine.
Things to do at the Sheep & Wool Festival
There are endless things to do at this festival besides ooh and aah over the dozens of different breeds of sheep. Attend a sheep or goat show—everything from the Northeast Angora Goat Show to Leaping Llamas to a wool fashion show; view a fiber competition or watch the frisbee dogs or a sheep herding dog demonstration. Listen to an author while getting a book signed. There are dozens of workshops to sign up for, from multiple knitting options—Beginning Double Knitting or Mosaic Knitting—to Spinning Basics. Bring your kids; they’ll love the petting zoo and the maple sugar shack!
Stop by Food Alley or one of several Food Trucks to grab a snack or a meal. You can also catch a specialty food or wine tasting or watch a cooking demonstration.
Shopping at the Sheep & Wool Festival
More than 250 vendors will be on site, selling all types of (mostly) wool-related products. Shop for hundreds of different yarns and dyes or treat yourself to an Angora sweater or other wonderful wooly clothes. New vendors in 2023 include American Made Alpaca, Butternut Creek Fiber Arts, Cardinal Woodwork, Daschund Daddy Knits, and Catskill Merino Sheep Farm. See a full list of vendors here.
Attending the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival
The Sheep & Wool Festival is open on Saturday, Oct. 21, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and on Sunday, Oct. 22, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Buy pre-sale online tickets for $12 (plus a $1.50 convenience fee) here. Tickets are $15 at the gate. Children 11 and under are free.
The Festival offers a bad check area to store your purchases; you can pick up all your goodies on your way out!
Take Amtrak to the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival
Have fun at the Sheep & Wool Festival via Amtrak to the Rhinecliff-Kingston Station—Don’t forget to use the See New York and Save 15% discount! The Dutchess County Fairgrounds is only 2.9 miles from the train station!
Get picked up from the Rhinecliff-Kingston Station and taken to your reserved NYTRAIN Enterprise Rent-a-Car. Click here to reserve your car or call the Kingston office today at: (845) 336-4700.
