SEQUIM — Lamb kabobs, lamb chili, arts, crafts and hands-on contact with fiber-producing animals are among the attractions of today’s annual Shepherd’s Festival.
The festival will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sequim Prairie Grange’s Macleay Hall, 290 Macleay Road, northwest of town.
Eleven vendors will offer hand-crafted clothing.
“They’ve taken it from the animals to the finished product,” said Chrysalis Carter, organizer with the North Olympic Shuttle and Spindle Guild, which sponsors the event along with the Olympic Peninsula Fiber Growers Association.
“They raise the animals, they shear the animals, they turn the fiber into yarn, and they can dye it and turn it into a finished product,” she said.
Some 10 to 20 guild members will demonstrate fiber-spinning and talk about weaving with fiber, she said.
“People can try their hands at spinning,” she said.
Becky Northhaven, who trains border collies, will put on a herding demonstration with her dogs, which encircle sheep and keep them under control, at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.
Sheep- and llama-shearing demonstrations also are planned.
During some of these, visitors may be able to handle the animals.
“We have some really sweet llamas,” Carter said. “They get shorn, and people can handle them.
“It’s up close and personal with the animals.”
A petting farm for children will be sponsored by the Lambchops 4-H Club.
Raffle tickets will be on sale.
The festival has been an annual event for more than 25 years, Carter said.
“It’s a really strong and well-established ongoing community event,” she said.