Temperatures are rising, the sun is shining and snowstorms seem like a distant memory.
So why not set up a market full of warm, snuggly wool?
That’s what Estes Park is doing this weekend. The town’s 20th annual Wool Market starts today and runs through Sunday.
Laurie Button, special events coordinator for the town of Estes Park, laughs at the incongruity of hosting a wool extravaganza on the cusp of the year’s warmest months.
“This is just our tradition,” she says, recalling earlier days of the festival when visitors had to wear winter jackets to combat the snow and cold.
At Estes Park’s 7,522-foot elevation, summer doesn’t always mean sweltering heat, either. Button says the wool devotees don’t mind the warmth much anyway.
“It’s surprising how many people are wearing woolen things,” says Button. “The temperatures just don’t seem to bother anyone and they seem to stay comfortable.”
The Wool Market is primarily a showcase for wool producers and breeders of livestock from sheep to rabbits to llamas. Button says participants come from all over the country.
“We’ve been fortunate to have very legitimate judges for our competitions,” she says of the event’s sheep, llama, alpaca, cashmere, angora goat and fleece contests. “One judge is coming from Maine. It’s amazing how many people want to bring their goats just because of him.”
Despite the heated livestock competition, this market is open to all, with plenty of activities for laypeople and kids.
“It’s nonstop action with all the animals and the people,” says Button. “It’s a very visitor-friendly event because you can walk through the barns and visit with the breeders and vendors.”
Guests can get up close with the animals on display and watch as they — and their wool — are judged by experts. Four times a day, herding-dog and sheep-shearing demonstrations draw crowds, too.
The Children’s Tent lets prospective weavers learn how to spin wool and weave on looms. Skilled weavers and spinners help out and offer instruction. Even grown-ups can give it a try.
Naturally, plenty of fleece and fibers will be for sale, in case crafters are already thinking about their fall projects. For the non-crafty, vendors will be hawking finished coats, scarves, hats and other woolen warm-ups.
Button expects a crowd this year.
“A lot of (our) events have success in part because of our location, she says. “It’s beautiful. The people who come, many of them have been here almost from the beginning.”
Woolen wonders
Everyone’s invited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Estes Park’s Wool Market. Tour stables full of wool-producing animals, give wool-spinning a shot and do a little shopping, too. The Fairgrounds at Stanley Park, U.S. 36 and Community Drive, Estes Park. Admission is free. Learn more at .
