RALEIGH, N.C. — The 18th annual Carolina FiberFest is happening this weekend, showcasing the interwoven history of fiber and textiles in North Carolina.
The festival kicked off Wednesday at the N.C. State Fairgrounds Exposition Center, bringing people from all across the country and marking one of the best weeks of the year for fiber fans in N.C.
“Everything here, it's just so fabulous!” Carolyn Beasley, a board member for the FiberFest, said. “If you don't do anything except just walk through and get inspired by the color and get happy.”
Beasley is one of the founding members of this festival. After spending years traveling to other shows, it was decided it was time for eastern North Carolina to have its own.
The first two festivals were held outdoors nearly 20 years ago, where farmers brought in their animals varying from breeds of sheep, Angora rabbits, alpacas and llamas. Today the festival continues to grow as a place where visitors can learn skills and find resources for their interests in fiber arts and support fiber farmers.
“It's nice to come to these and see what everybody has,” Beasley said. “You have alpaca people, you have mohair people — mohair comes from a goat for those who don't know — right up here is a lady that has Angora rabbits.”
North Carolina’s rich history in textiles makes it the perfect state for an event like this featuring many small farms who produce everything directly from their farms and their animals. Animal-based fiber is where North Carolina’s textile industry began. The massive cotton mills we think of today didn’t get their start until after the Civil War.
“Burlington Mills and several other of the mills that are common names here, that's how they got started," Beasley said. “People would have extra wool or they ate the sheep, but didn't want the wool, that kind of thing. And so he would start taking that.”
People who enjoy knitting, weaving, crocheting and other fiber crafts can expect to see many bright and vivid colors of yarns and fibers, along with opportunities to share and explore with other fiber artists.
“I would love for people to keep an open mind and just come and enjoy, enjoy the colors, enjoy the people, the kindness,” Beasley said.
A turnout around 1,500 is expected this weekend.