“The first outing of the Rose City Fibre Fest was due to take place in May 2020,” noted Rose City Fibre Fest co-organizer Sarah Ross. “Sadly, like everything else that year, the event was canceled.”

In late 2022, organizers once again began planning for the inaugural Rose City Fibre Fest event to be held in 2023, but discovered their original venue was not available.

“So we connected with Leanne Sept of Sunnyhill Alpacas in New Sarepta and arranged for the 2023 Rose City Fibre Fest to take place on the same date and at the same venue as their annual Spring Alpaca Show,” explained Ross. “It was a resounding success, despite the fact that it fell on Easter weekend. Alpaca farmers, alpacas, yarn, fibre, textiles and fibre-related workshops were all held in one location.”

Partnering with the Alpaca show and sale was such a natural fit for the Rose City Fibre Fest that the organizers are excited to once again bring a fun-filled weekend of fibre, festivities and some four-legged friends to Camrose.

“We have 48 vendors coming and bringing yarn, spinning fibre and equipment, felted garments and pictures, bags, weaving, embroidery kits and so much more,” said Ross, adding that the vendors include local, as well as some from other areas of Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.

The event will also feature 10 workshops covering a range of topics from: embroidery techniques (Sashiko from Japan, Hardanger from Norway, slow-stitched postcards); Métis beading; basket weaving (bird feeder, Christmas reindeer); wool hooking; felting a landscape with wool; and dyeing with natural dyes and rust.

And if you want a little break from fibre, take a stroll around some four-legged attendees in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, not to mention adorableness.

To register or learn more about any of the workshops, contact via email at rosecityfibrefest@gmail.com, or join Rose City Fibre Fest on Instagram @rosecityfibrefest and register for the workshops through the link to the bio.

Registration for all workshops ends on March 31.

Entry to the vendor marketplace can be made through a donation to Camrose Neighbor Aid Food Bank or $2.

“In 2023, we were delighted to donate an amazing 13 boxes of food/items plus $870 in cash donations to the Food Bank,” noted Ross.

For more details and event updates, visit the Rose City Fibre Fest Facebook page.