Fiber Festival of New England

Fiber Festival of New England is Saturday, Nov. 5 and Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011 - ongoing in spite of the recent storm and outages.

Sheep, llamas, alpacas, rabbits (fiber animals) are scheduled to be there; sheep shearing, sheep dogs herding, demonstrations, spinning, knitting, felting - plus workshops, yarn and much more. Presented by Eastern States Exposition and New England Sheep & Wool Growers Association in the heated Mallary Complex, West Springfield, Mass.

Note: Battenkill Fibers Carding & Spinning Mill will offers a hands-on workshop will begin with a look at how yarn is made and an overview of the structure of various types of fiber and weights of yarn. Instructor Mary Jeanne Packer, owner of the mill in Greenwich, New York, will share first-hand experience complete with fiber and yarn samples and images. Packer is also the owner/co-owner of two yarn shops-Finger Lakes Fibers in Watkins Glen, New York; and Green Mountain Fibers in Rutland, Vermont. Fee is $25; materials required include knitting needles in several sizes; yarn will be provided - or bring some of your own). Admission, hours, list of vendors and more details, call (413) 205-5011; visit the FFNE site or find them on Facebook.

Northeast Highland Cattle Show

Northeast Highland Cattle Show, Saturday, Oct. 8, Eastern States Exposition, Mass. Junior show 9 a.m.; open show, 10 a.m.

Banquet and silent auction, 6:30 p.m. Holiday Inn Enfield.

Equine Affaire, November in Massachusetts

People love horses. This hands-on event was held at CCC Feeds in Connecticut.

Equine Affaire is Nov. 11 through Nov. 14, at ESE fairgrounds, West Springfield, Mass.

Visit hundreds of equine-related retailers, manufacturers, service providers, associations, and organizations, plus acres of informative exhibits featuring equine products and services ranging from tack, riding apparel, artwork, gifts, grooming supplies to fencing, stalls, barns, farm equipment, and horse trailers.

In the barns are representatives of individual breeding farms and training stables to discuss horses for sale, stallions at stud, riding lessons, and training and boarding facilities.

Open to adult riders of all disciplines and horses of all breeds, Equine Affaire’s Versatile Horse & Rider Competitions are fast-paced events in which horse and rider teams race through obstacle courses at top speeds while being judged on their horsemanship skills. The prizes include $5,500 in cash, saddles, equipment and more.

Equine Affaire, Inc. was founded by Eugenia Snyder in 1993, and the first event was held in Ohio, 1994. Since then, it has expanded to include Massachusetts and California.