Eastern States Exposition and the New England Sheep and Wool Growers Association will co-produce the third annual Fiber Festival of New England, in the Mallary Complex. Show hours are Saturday, Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The weekend will bring vendors and fiber enthusiasts together to promote the use of wool and other natural fibers and related products to the general public.

The event offers shopping opportunities, workshops, demonstrations and fun for the whole family. Visitors may participate in various workshops as well as watch interesting and informative demonstrations. More than 150 New England exhibitors showcased their products including clothing, quilts, blankets, rugs, looms, spinning wheels and more.

The show is an excellent opportunity to begin shopping for the holidays with more than 200 vendor booths. It also offers an educational component for visitors to learn how animals contribute to the fiber industry through live displays of llamas, alpacas, sheep, rabbits and goats.

Activities include: A Fiber Fashion Show, featuring handmade clothing and items made from natural fiber, will be held Saturday at 1:45 p.m. Consider showcasing your fiber-made accessory or piece of apparel made out of wool, mohair, alpaca or angora, at this fun-filled event. No pre-registration is required, and those interested may call Kathy Rasys at 413-245-9463 or email kathyrasys@hotmail.com. Participants should arrive no later than 10 a.m. on the day of the show. Volunteer models are also being sought for this event. If interested, call 413-205-5011.

A Fleece Sale will be ongoing throughout the Festival and is open to all. Be the first in line to purchase a fleece. Those interested in contributing fleeces: send fleeces to arrive on or before Nov. 2; or bring them to the Mallary Complex, beginning Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Please include the date shorn, breed of animal and producer information.

David and Iris Westcott of the Rhode Island Spinners Guild in booth 521 East will be teaching spinning and weaving on location and will produce a colorful coat by the end of the Fiber Festival.

Want to learn more about fiber crafting? Attend one of the workshops held during the Fiber Festival, including Beginner Rug Hooking and Making a Needle Felted Scarf.

Have crafting tools lying around the house that you’re not sure how to use? Storrowton Village Museum Director Dennis Picard will present “A Field Guide to Your Antique Tools and Mechanisms.” Bring along your unique or mystery relics. You’ll gain insight into historic fiber mechanisms’ functions and dilemmas and solutions as to why your bat head is lazy or your clock reel refuses to tell the right time. The workshops take place Saturday 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Sunday 1-3 p.m.

Volunteers from Storrowton Village Museum will be demonstrating the use of antique textile tools from the Museum’s collection throughout the day.

Admission to the Fiber Festival of New England is $5 for adults and free for children 12 and under. For more information and tickets, visit www.FiberFestival.org/.