Two local crafters have joined forces to stage the inaugural Foothills Fibre Festival next weekend in Millarville.
Carmen Jadick and Jennie Shipley are organizing the event, which will be held on Saturday, May 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Millarville Racetrack grounds.
Jadick said there will be more than 30 vendors, both local and cottage artisans who produce yarn and other crafting supplies. All the vendors are from Alberta, with most of them located in the Foothills.
She said there won’t be any finished products for sale, but rather the event will offer a wide selection of supplies geared to knitters and crafters.
There will also be instruction, including dyeing and needle felting classes, and Jadick will be hosting a fleece sorting demonstration.
She will also be bringing some baby alpacas and their mothers from her farm just south of Millarville to the festival.
“They're pretty cute, but they're not for sale,” she said. “You can look at them, but you can't go right into the pen with them because that's just going to be too stressful for them.”
Jadick said they’re hoping to create a place where people can sit around and knit together to provide a social experience at the festival.
There will also be a concession featuring items from Kaiser’s Old Style Bakery that recently opened in High River.
Jadick said there are a few similar markets around the province, but with a couple of those having recently shut down, she believes the Millarville festival will fill a hole in the calendar.
Admission is $2.
