"Wool Days" at Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge

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New Englanders reared sheep for their wool in the 1830s at Old Sturbridge Village’s annual sheep shearing festival – Wool Days – on Memorial Day Weekend.

Welcome our spring lambs and see the adult sheep get their annual “haircut.” There will also be guest alpacas to visit and sheep herding demonstrations.

Sheep in the barn at Old Sturbridge Village

Throughout the weekend, farmers perform sheep shearing, while experts show off the sheep herding skills of border collies. Costumed historians will demonstrate the entire wool textile process, from scouring and carding the wool to spinning, and then knitting the hand-spun wool yarn. Visitors can even try their skill at hand-carding the wool.

Learn about the natural dyes used to produce an amazing array of colors in the 19th century.

Different Wools – Meet alpacas and llamas to learn about wool from different animals.

See how wool is transformed into household linens and garments with demonstrations of the spinning wheel and loom.

Meet the animals – lambs, chickens, cows, and oxen, and watch a host of daily demonstrations, including musket firing, hearth cooking, printing, coopering, blacksmithing, shoe-making and more!

For an additional fee, you can also take a ride on the Stagecoach or on the Riverboat or make a tin ornament!

Venue

Old Sturbridge Village
29 Stallion Hill Road
Sturbridge

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Dates

The event runs from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM on the following dates.
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