This year marks the first time that the festival has partnered with University of California, Davis. Dr. Rosie Busch of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine is hosting a workshop on flock health management during the event. Photo courtesy of Lambtown Festival/Roy Clemes

DIXON, CA (MPG) - Lambtown Festival, California’s largest celebration of sheep, lamb and wool, returns to the Dixon May Fairgrounds on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5.

The annual event will feature more than 50 hands-on workshops, expanded educational programming and vendor offerings from throughout Northern California and beyond.

According to Roy Clemes, Lambtown’s president since 2018, the event is a celebration of fiber arts.

“Our mission is to celebrate all things sheep, lamb, wool and fiber arts,” Clemes said. “How do you get the wool off the sheep to turn it into a finished garment? That’s what our workshops focus on.”

This year’s festival will offer 55 workshops. According to Clemes, this is a major upgrade from 45 in 2024 and just six in 2018.

Lambtown Festival, California’s largest celebration of sheep, lamb and wool, returns to the Dixon May Fairgrounds on Saturday, Oct. 4, and Sunday, Oct. 5. The annual event will feature more than 50 hands-on workshops, expanded educational programming and vendor offerings from throughout Northern California and beyond. Photo courtesy of Lambtown Festival/Roy Clemes

Workshops begin Oct. 2 and run through the weekend. The main festival operates from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 4 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 5.

The workshops cover a range of fiber arts, including spinning, weaving, felting, knitting, dyeing and flock management. A new producer-focused session on sheep health, in partnership with University of California, Davis, will debut this year.

“This is our first year partnering with UC Davis and one of their professors (Dr. Rosie Busch) is doing a workshop on flock health and flock management. This is the first year we have some producer-focused education and we hope to partner with UC Davis a lot more in the future,” Clemes said.

Workshop instructors are selected through a year-round open application process and are reviewed by a committee.

The event prioritizes a range of disciplines and experience levels.

“If this is your first time coming to the festival and you want to try knitting, you can do that,” Clemes said. “But if you’re more advanced, you can try new techniques.”

The instructor lineup includes California-based artisans and also nationally-recognized names such as Jacy Faulkner, an internationally-known spinning teacher and “Ply Magazine” founder, and Amy Manko, an international expert on rare breed sheep, who will be a wool show judge and host three workshops.

Clemes and his family, including his wife, Ginna Clemes, and his father, Henry Clemes, will also host workshops.

“My dad’s teaching about drum carding, which is our family business; we make the equipment,” Clemes said. “I’m making blending boards and my wife is teaching a cold dyeing class.”

In addition to workshops, Lambtown will feature live music, a dozen food trucks and approximately 80 vendors. Admission to the festival is $25 for a weekend pass, $20 for Saturday only and $15 for Sunday. Children 12 and under are admitted free. Photo courtesy of Lambtown Festival/Roy Clemes

Workshop registration is now available online at lambtown.org. Registration remains open until sessions are full.

According to Clemes, every workshop specifies whether materials are provided when registering online. Early sign-up is encouraged, as space is limited. Prices vary by workshop and typically range from $40 to $170, including additional material fees.

Admission to the festival is $25 for a weekend pass, $20 for Saturday only and $15 for Sunday. Children 12 and under are admitted free.

In addition to workshops, Lambtown will feature live music, a dozen food trucks, approximately 80 vendors and “Make It With Wool,” a national fashion competition where contestants exhibit their wool creations on stage. Winners of this competition can go on competing at the international level.

Attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes, dress in layers, bring a water bottle and carry cash for vendors. While food is available on-site, festivalgoers with dietary restrictions should plan ahead.

 “I think, if you’re local and haven’t been in a long time, I think it’s time to come back,” Clemes said. “The work we have done since 2018 has made this the largest sheep and wool event in California. We’re working to make it the largest in the country.”

For more information or to register for workshops, visit lambtown.org or email [email protected].