The annual Sheep-to-Shawl festival returns to Philipsburg Manor on Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14, from 10am-5pm. Visitors to this event can follow the process of textile creation, from the sheep’s back to yarn, experiencing the entire process of turning wool into cloth, watching as sheep are shorn by hand, and taking a turn dyeing and weaving the finished product – all done just like it was over 300 years ago!
While strolling through the historic manor’s grounds, visitors can watch as Scottish border collies demonstrate their sheep- and duck- herding savvy, strut their stuff 18-century style during Project Colonial Runway, get crafty in the kids free explore area, and browse local vendors and artisans selling yarn-related wares. Toes will be tapping throughout the day to the sounds of live bluegrass and folk music.
Stop by the Manor House to see the exhibit Colonial Cloth: Textiles and Trade and discover how fabric was part of an international trading network and how Philipsburg Manor was at the heart of it. Visitors will see cloth created in Europe and in the American colonies and learn how they were a marker of social class.
Sheep-to-Shawl takes place rain or shine. Purchase tickets online in advance to get reduced admission rates of $16 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $8 for children ages 3-17. Members of Historic Hudson Valley and children under 3 attend for free. On-site prices are $2 more per ticket. Tickets can be purchased online at www.hudsonvalley.org.
Sheep-to-Shawl kicks off the spring season for Historic Hudson Valley’s network of National Historic Landmarks. Philipsburg Manor and Washington Irving’s Sunnyside will open to the public for tours beginning Wednesday, May 1, while Union Church of Pocantico Hills opens Wednesday, April 3, and Van Cortlandt Manor on Wednesday, July 4. Kykuit, the Rockefeller estate, a National Trust for Historic Preservation site with tours given by Historic Hudson Valley, begins its season on Thursday, May 2.
More about Philipsburg Manor
In 1750, Philipsburg Manor was home to 23 enslaved individuals known to have lived and labored there. It is the country’s only living history museum that focuses on the history of northern slavery. Philipsburg Manor is at 381 North Broadway (Route 9) in Sleepy Hollow, just two miles north of the Tappan Zee Bridge. For more Information call 914-366-6900 or visit their website at www.hudsonvalley.org.
