Oxford Historical Society Slates 7th Annual Fiber Festival

OXFORD – The Oxford Historical Society’s 7th Annual Fiber Festival will be held Saturday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, April 13, from 1 to 4 p.m. The event will take place at the Twitchell-Rowland Homestead, 60 Towner Lane, in Oxford. Towner Lane is off Route 67, across from St. Thomas Church.

The Fiber Festival is free and open to the public.

Highlighting the event will be four demonstrations of Pygora goat shearing by Ron East. Visitors on Saturday may watch the goats lose their winter fur at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday’s shearing will be held at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Inside the Homestead the New England Lace Group will be hard at work with their threads and pillows, demonstrating the ancient craft of making bobbin lace. Spinners and weavers will put the society’s antique loom and spinning wheel to work once again. A tour of the c1755 saltbox also offers an exhibit of international textiles and embroidery from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Outdoors, table looms will be available for those who would like to try their hands at weaving. Artisans’ booths will line the edges of the lawn selling crafts like crochet and knit creations, natural stone and stainless-steel jewelry and brooms. Hooked rugs, baskets and herbs will also be for sale.

For the first time, the 1850 Munn Schoolhouse will be open to the public. Inside, visitors will find baked goods by members of the Oxford Historical Society on offer. There will also be a lucky draw opportunity to take home a quilt crafted by Betsy Korn for the event. Books, notepaper and other Oxford Historical Society creations will be on sale.

The Litchfield Hills Church food truck will be on hand for food and beverages.

In addition, knitters, crocheters, embroiderers, rug hookers and spinners are invited to drop by and demonstrate their crafts.

The festival commemorates Oxford’s early industrial and agricultural history. In 1802, David Humphreys purchased 100 Spanish merino sheep and on April 10, shipped them to his homestead in Derby, Connecticut. He was the first successful American importer of merino sheep, known for their excellent wool. The new breed of sheep changed the agriculture and economy of Oxford and the entire Naugatuck Valley.