Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful
60 W. High St.
Waynesburg, PA 15370
email: msmwbg@windstream.net
724-627-8119   fax:  724-8159

Contact:
Carol Adamson
Third Annual Sheep & Fiber Fest
Phone 724-451-8406

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LIVESTOCK LANES?

            Visitors to Waynesburg, PA may feel as if the clock has turned back a century if they try to drive through the town’s historic business district on the 18th & 19th of May this year. The fact is, four city blocks of the main thoroughfare through the Southwestern, PA Burg will be closed to motorized traffic to make room for...Sheep. “We’re not driving a herd through town, although that actually was a common sight along many rural roads in the past; but we will have live animals on display,” said Carol Adamson, Chairman of the Third Annual Sheep & Fiber Fest in downtown Waynesburg, PA. According to Adamson, the festival is coordinated by Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful, a Main Street USA Organization, and sponsored in part by National City Bank. “The sheep & fiber industry has historically played an important role in our county’s agricultural base, and everyone comes out to enjoy all the wonderful spinning and weaving going on. We have demonstrations of shearing and different breeds too, and plenty of delicious lamb cuisine being served up that weekend,” Adamson says.

            The festival schedule includes a juried crafts show and sale featuring vendors from throughout the region, many demonstrating and selling fiber related wares. One of the most popular activities is the “Sheep To Shawl” demonstration in which several teams are in a timed competition to create a finished piece of woolen apparel. “Spectators will see the process from the actual shearing of the sheep, cleaning and carding of the wool, then spinning and weaving into the finished shawl, all in one quick ‘assembly line’ type operation,” Adamson explains, “We have several Spinners & Weavers Guilds from the region participating and the finished shawls will be offered at auction to festival go’ers.” 

Other activities include a Lamb Grilling Competition, Fiber workshops in which the public can participate to learn knitting, spinning, weaving and dyeing techniques. Also popular are the live border collie shepherding shows, in which real working dogs show off their skills in herding live sheep; a photography contest and exhibit; live musical entertainment and various children’s activities.

            “We’re closing down the streets for loads of fun, food and unique crafts & shopping while we celebrate the heritage of sheep, wool and fiber in Greene County, PA,” Adamson says. The two-day festival is slated for May 17th & 18th, 2008 in Waynesburg, PA, located along I-79 approx. 50 miles south of Pittsburgh, PA  and 18 miles north of Morgantown, WV.  Admission to the festival is free; for directions or a free brochure, contact Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful at 724-627-8111, or go to the festival website at www.sheepandfiber.com.