Feeling wooly-headed? There’s a festival for that…

When: 28th & 29th June 2013, 10am – 5pm

Where: Mitchell’s Lakeland Livestock Centre, Cockermouth, Cumbria CA13 0QQ

£: £8 (accompanied children go free)

What is it?

Now in its ninth year, Woolfest (Friday 28th and Saturday 29th June) is a chance for visitors to experience a horticultural produce show with a difference.

Woolfest incorporates live fleece animals – many of them rare native breeds – a raw fleece sale, exhibitions, displays and craft demonstrations as well as over 150 stalls featuring everything from yarn and spinning wheels to unique woollen furnishings, accessories and clothing. It attracted more than 5000 visitors last year and continues to attract craft and wool enthusiasts in Cockermouth and the surrounding area.

Visitors to Woolfest have always enjoyed participating in a special craft project and 2013 will be no exception.

Mary Bell, a member of the Wool Clip and one of the Woolfest organisers explains:

“We tried to think of something new for 2013 and came up with the idea of the Woollycultural Show, a traditional horticultural competition but with a difference – whether fruit or vegetable, flower or miniature garden, all entries must be made of wool. From our Facebook page and other contacts, we know that visitors have been knitting, crocheting, felting or weaving their entries in recent months – there’s no restriction on craft, just the usual Woolfest emphasis on wool and natural fibres so it will be interesting to see what arrives next Friday and Saturday.”

“We know that there will be stunning pieces on show because there are so many gifted people out there who have contributed to Woolfest in the past,” she continues. “And we’ve been able to recruit two top judges with Pam Jago, Chair of the Cumbria-Cumberland Federation of Women’s Institutes, and Diana Matthews, High Sheriff of Cumbria and a great advocate of local craftsmanship, judging a day each.”

There will also be an array of interesting and unusual demonstrations at the festival including 3D felt sculptures, solar dyeing and freestyle weaving.

More info: For further details of the produce show and the events visit www.woolfest.co.uk.