Folks, we’ve got some baaaaaaaad news.
The 2020 Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival has been canceled — the latest casualty in a series of very late summer events nixed in the wake of new guidance from Oregon Governor Kate Brown earlier this month.
“The decision was based on several factors; the first being the health and safety of all who participate in the festival,” organizers said in a May 23 post to their website and Facebook page. “Also, Oregon has made the decision to limit events with over 25 participants until after September.”
The annual exhibition is a celebration of the full spectrum of natural fibers (plant and animal) from beginning to end, from the animal or raw fiber to the finished product. The festival celebrates weaving, felting, basketmaking and all other “fiber arts,” and includes demonstrations, livestock shows, seminars, kids’ activities, and an expansive marketplace for a wide array of fiber goods and accessories.
It had been scheduled for Sept. 27 and 28 at the Clackamas County Fairgrounds and Event Center.
OFFF organizers encourage festival goers to check their website frequently for updates about how they can support vendors in the coming season.
“We strongly encourage folks to purchase from these vendors if you can,” they said. “We know they could use our support right now.”
The 2020 theme (plant fibers) and celebrated craft (basketmaking) will be carried over to next year’s festival, which has been scheduled for Sept. 25-26, 2021.
Photo courtesy Karen Kenagy.
