Thanks for making the 2016
Gathering a great success!
See you in 2017!
Come join us for the
As always, Admission & Parking at the Gathering are FREE! |
Lane County Fairgrounds
Eugene, Oregon
There have been some changes over the last few years, but you'll still find the welcoming fiber event that has been going strong for 42 years! As usual, we offer three full days of workshops and classes, gorgeous fleeces for public judging and sale, and sheep and Angora goat shows that emphasize the beautiful fibers these animals produce. We hope to see everyone at the potluck on Saturday night, and don't forget to join the enthusiastic crowd after dinner for the Spinners' Lead, where you can be entertained by the animals and inspired by the items their fleeces produced.
In 2015, uncertainty in local tent regulations forced us to move all of the Marketplace vendors indoors. The move was a blessing in disguise, providing vendors and shoppers alike with a large, bright, and climate-controlled space. There is plenty of room for a huge spinning circle; free talks and demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday; Friday's Sheep-to-Shawl competition, and an even larger Fiber Arts competition.
Alpacas joined the Gathering in 2015 as well, and in 2016, they will be bringing fleeces to the wool show and sale for the first time! You won't want to miss that prize-winning alpaca blanket.
In the sheep barn, we again welcome the Natural Colored Wool Growers Association National Show. This may be the year you find that perfect silver Romney lamb or lovely chocolate brown (moorit) merino fleece. NCWGA's mission is to assist in the improvement, promotion, development of naturally colored sheep and the colored wool they produce, and their work is a perfect complement to the purpose of the Black Sheep Gathering.
The Gathering has been asked to take on camping registration this year, and it will be a new adventure for us all. Online registration will be available on our travel page on April 2; see that page for details regarding camping reservations. If you need assistance with other lodging in Eugene, contact Travel Lane County at 541-484-5307 or contact Eugene Cascades Coast.
Daily schedules will be available at the information booth. As always, admission and parking at the Gathering are free. Bring your families and friends, and take part in one of the most unique events in the country celebrating natural colored animals and their fiber. Please remember no dogs, other than service dogs, are allowed. The Black Sheep Gathering is an all-volunteer organization that welcomes your suggestions, participation, and assistance. For information on specific events, to volunteer or to offer suggestions, please refer to the list of committee workers.
Mission Statement: The Black Sheep Gathering is an annual event during which participants exchange their knowledge of an appreciation for handcraft fibers and the animals that produce them.
Goals: The Black Sheep Gathering strives to provide an environment dedicated to: education, cooperation and participation, an atmosphere of fellowship and fun, and celebrating natural colored animals and their fibers.
