Families and fans of all things sheep will flock to Philipsburg Manor for Sheep-to-Shawl, kicking off Historic Hudson Valley’s spring season on Saturday and Sunday, April 21-22, from 10am-5pm.
Visitors 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!
Visitors can stroll through the historic manor’s grounds, watch as Scottish border collies demonstrate their sheep- and duck- herding savvy, strut their stuff 18-century style during Project Colonial Runway, and try their hand at a massive 20-foot diameter weaving project. Activities for kids include crafts such as printing projects and yarn-wrapped branches. Toes will be tapping throughout the day to the sounds of the live band Bluegrass Collusion.
Stop by the Manor House to see the exhibit Wearable Wealth: The Value of Cloth and Clothing in the 18th Century, which helps visitors understand just how precious fabric goods were for colonial Americans.
Sheep-to-Shawl takes place rain or shine. If purchased in advance online, admission is $16 for adults, $12 for seniors, $8 for children ages 3-17. Members of Historic Hudson Valley and children under 3 attend for free. Onsite 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 2, while the Union Church of Pocantico Hills opens Sunday, April 1, 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 3.
Philipsburg Manor is at 381 North Broadway (Route 9) in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., two miles north of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Information: 914-366-6900, http://www.hudsonvalley.org/.
Photo Credit: Tom Nycz for Historic Hudson Valley