Black Sheep Gathering

The next gathering is
June 26-28, 2026

Linn County Expo Center
Albany, Oregon

The Black Sheep Gathering will be celebrating our 52nd year in 2026! The show will once again convene the premier sheep, goats, fleeces, and classes in the country, in the heart of the beautiful Willamette Valley.

This year, we welcome the national show for the Gotland Breeders of North America and the Regional Show for the Valais Blacknose Sheep Society. Every year, the fleeces from these unique breeds get more beautiful, and once again, there will be some excellent fleeces and animals to experience at the show, in addition to the hundreds of beautiful sheep, goats, wool, mohair, and fiber arts.

The Livestock and Fleece Show will be registering entirely online this year! Registration opens on April 1, and we recommend completing it by June 1 to ensure ample time to familiarize yourself with the new process and get help if needed. The link will be posted here on April 1. Please don’t leave registration for the last minute to minimize any issues with the new process.

As always, registration for workshops and tent camping will be available here, and RV camping is available at the Linn County Expo Center. For those traveling from out of town, nearby lodging options and transportation details are available on our website to help you plan your stay comfortably.

Admission and parking at the Gathering are always free. Bring your family and friends and take part in one of the most unique events in the country, celebrating natural-colored animals and their fiber. Please remember that all dogs, including Service Dogs, are prohibited in the vicinity of the livestock for the safety of humans and animals in the area.

The Black Sheep Gathering is an all-volunteer, non-profit agricultural organization that welcomes your suggestions, participation, and support. We encourage everyone to become more involved, volunteer, and participate with your friends and fellow attendees to ensure the Gathering’s future! For information on specific events, to volunteer, or to offer suggestions, please get in touch with any committee workers listed on the contacts page or email blacksheepgathering@gmail.com.

SHEEP SHOW

Judge: Ken Gossard
Willow Springs, Missouri

Ken Gossard has made the sheep industry his life. He was raised in the Missouri Ozarks on a multi-generation farm; he has seen the change of the agriculture sector. He did his undergrad studies in Animal Science/Chemistry, then pursued a Masters in Food Chemistry and finished with a PhD in Meat Science.
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ANGORA GOAT SHOW

Judge: Eric Stewart
Turnip Hole, Pennsylvania

Eric raises both colored and AAGBA white, Angora goats, in addition to rabbits, overlooking the Clarion River at Higher Ground Farm. He purchased his first Angora goats in 1999 and has been passionate about improving mohair quality on the colored goats ever since.
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FLEECE SHOW

Wool and Alpaca Judge: Amy Manko
Eighty Four, Pennsylvania

A fifth-generation farmer, Amy became fascinated with rare breeds in 2008. Obsessive research, immersion in the fiber arts and these many years later, Amy travels the world advocating for rare breed sheep, including the PLY Magazine series – “Sheep on the Edge,” U.K’s KnitNow magazine breed profiles, and Ross Farm Fibers YouTube vlog, Sheep and Wool School.
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FIBER ARTS AND YARN SHOW

Judge: Janet Potter
Estacada, Oregon

At 52 I learned to spin. I joined the Aurora Colony Handspinners’ Guild (ACHG) around 2000 and first became vice-president and then president in 2018. I have been a member of the Sheep-to-Shawl study group and competition team, A Sheep at the Wheel.
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