Shepherd's Harvest Festival facts for kids

Minnesota's Shepherd's Harvest Festival is the largest sheep and wool festival in Minnesota.

History

The festival began in 1997 and is run entirely by volunteers with support from the Minnesota Lamb and Wool Producers Association. Llama Magic is held on the fairgrounds the same weekend as Shepherd's Harvest.

It is held annually, normally each Mother's Day weekend at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. The official website lists the 2021 festival as the following weekend, 08–09 May.

It has vendors selling a full spectrum of sheep and wool related items including fiber, yarns, spinning wheels, knitting supplies, sheep cheese, lanolin, lamb burgers, vet supplies and breeding stock. It offers the only fleece competition in the state as well as hosting felting, skein and photo competitions. Its educational component includes fiber related and sheep raising classes. Demonstrations include sheep shearing, dog herding, linen-making and a natural fibers fashion show. Local authors, sheep experts, knitting designers and chefs are invited to share their sheep and wool expertise with the community.

There was one festival casualty: in 2020, when it was cancelled.