The largest natural fiber festival in the area will be at Young’s Jersey Dairy this weekend, and Ruth Ann Rahim, president of the Midwest Festival of Fibers, says if you want to know anything about fiber or if you just want to look at pretty things, then this is the place to be.

The Wool Gathering is in it’s 17th year and features 88 vendors from 12 states. “There will be children’s crafts, demonstrations, live animals and many beautiful items for sale,” said Rahim.

Guests can talk to people who raise fiber animals and artists who use the fibers in creative ways. There will be a variety of demonstrations like rug hooking, spinning and an antique sock machine. Children’s crafts include jump-rope making, felting, weaving and spinning with a drop spindle. Sheep, alpacas, llamas, goats and rabbits will be on display.

Back again this year is John Allread and his dogs with herding demonstrations. His dogs guide ducks around an obstacle course and into a tub of water. Also returning are sheep shearers Eugene Hadenschield and his son Don. The herding and shearing demonstrations and the children’s crafts are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

Providing music will be Jeb Mac (aka Jeff McKinley) and his wife, Carolina Pearl, playing a farmhouse fiddle, banjo, lap dulcimer and other instruments.

Rahim said, “9,000 usually people come over the weekend. It’s a fun event for everyone.”