Jessie: In New Hampshire, grateful for the screen house to keep out the black flies on beautiful days!
Every now and again I take the advice of the writer, Julia Cameron, and take myself out on an artist’s date. It is so uplifting to go somewhere new that allows me to see beautiful things and to engage my senses in out-of-the-ordinary ways. Fortunately, there is never a shortage of places to visit!
On Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend an event that was just perfect for refilling my creative well. For years, I have meant to attend the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival, but somehow I have never made it. It always seems to fall on Mother’s Day weekend and I usually have other plans. This year, a friend was available to join me, the weather was beautiful, and I had nothing on the schedule.
For fiber lovers, there is nothing better than the chance to see so much of it on display. With four buildings filled with vendor booths I cannot even guess at how many yards of yarn were there for the viewing and patting! Angora, mohair, silk, cashmere, and a huge variety of wool breeds in multiple weights and colors were available to purchase. And although it is my favorite thing, there was so much more than yarn to see.
Women of all ages sat in one of the exhibit halls with their spinning wheels expertly whirling, skeins of handspun yarn magically growing before the eyes of the passersby. My friend was inspired to pick up a drop spindle and some colorful roving of her own.
Besides the spinning and the finished yarn there were also the animals who contribute all the fiber in the first place. In one of the fields, we watched a sheepdog demonstrating how to herd a flock of sheep. We had the chance to watch another sheep being sheared. Several children walked sheep, goats, and tiny lambs on leashes here, there, and everywhere. Alpacas, with their curiously long necks, could be seen peering about as if wondering what all the fuss was about. There was even an enormous angora rabbit in a basket available for petting.
And, of course, there was fair food. It was difficult to choose, but I have never regretted settling on a gyro! Somehow everything tastes best in the open air, especially when there is so much people watching to be done. Knitters love to wear their handmade creations to fiber events, and seeing what they have created is inspiring! It also makes it easy to chat with strangers when you wish to pay them a compliment on their handiwork!
By the end of the day, my wallet was a bit lighter, but my heart and imagination were full. I can hardly wait for my next artist’s date!
Readers, do you like festivals, fairs, and shows? Writers, do you take yourself on artist’s dates?
The Wickeds 
I confess that I have never heard of an artist’s date, but if it means going out and having fun doing something special, I think it is a great idea. It turns out I do a lot of them, especially if they include looking at natural beauty as well as works of art and craft. I wanted to add that on a trip to New Zealand, I saw a single dog herding hundreds of sheep toward a shed to be shorn. I couldn’t get over how skilled that dog was! On the same trip, we saw enormous sheep with massive horns being sheared in what seemed like seconds. Extraordinary!
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I love, love, love festivals, fairs, and the like. We have lots of them around, but I haven’t been to one in a few years. Jessie, you’re making me think I need to correct that.
I also love taking a day to refill the well. I’m feeling a need for one of those artist’s dates right now.
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I hope that you make it to a festival soon!
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What a great event, Jessie, and a perfect one for you!
Recently my refill-the-well days tend to be ones I spend with my little granddaughter – not working, not on the internet, just soaking up a delightful growing human (and helping her parents get a little more sleep and non-baby time).
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That seems a perfect way to fill your well!
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Thanks for a fun post, Jessie. I, too, take myself on an artist’s date every so often.Recently I went to a goat yoga class. Lots of baby goats and that wonderful fresh air you mentioned.
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Goat yoga sounds like just the ticket!
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For years, hubby working for city municipalities was one of the ones seeing that the festivals and events were organized and that everything came off without a hitch. Needless to say after almost 40 years of it, he had had his full of festivals. Knowing that makes it all the more hilarious that we moved and built our forever home in a tourist town where from April to November there is a festival of some sort about every 3 weeks – from the just recent Iris Festival to the Bean Fest and Outhouse Races held in the fall. But we love it! Think the main reason is that it’s been enough time from his working it to when we moved here, but also that he can sit back and enjoy it without thinking about what needs to be done or anticipating disasters before they happen. Now it’s a joy to get up and attend an event, see all the sights and smell all the tempting things offered for the hungry passerby. It also gives us a chance to welcome folks to our city and talk to people from all walks of life and several foreign countries that think our city worthy of visiting. I even have to admit that if we are thinking about visiting a new place and seeing what’s there to see, I check out what festivals they have and when. We like to attend both those of interest to us and some that might seem quite different from the normal ones.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
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What fun! I am imagining a book with outhouse races!
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Waving my hand with my latest Country Store Mystery, Jessie – Deep Fried Death opens with an Indiana outhouse race (and, of course, a body in one of them…).
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Perfect!
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I love a good county fair!! I used to love Renaissance fairs as well… But they seem like they’ve turned into an excuse to dress up like Batman and talk with a phony accent. I’m not saying I don’t still enjoy them, but I will take a good summer or autumn fair any day!
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There is something about an autumn fair that feels so nostalgic!
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How fun, Jessie! My wife and are fans of music festivals and make the annual trip to our state fair. It’s always a good time so see what’s new and different, both with food and art.
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JESSIE: I do enjoy going to seasonal fairs and festivals. Food & music festivals are popular in the summer. But most of the agricultural fairs take place towards the end of summer or early fall in Ontario.
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Our agricultural fairs are in the fall too, for the most part.
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I do love a good fair or festival. Just the atmosphere. And, as you point out, the food.
My SinC chapter has one a “field trip” each summer for the last couple of years to go to a museum or something. Always fun. I don’t think we have one planned this year.
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What a fun thing for your SinC chapter to plan!
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Oh, what fun! We have lots of fairs in Northern Maine in the summers. I haven’t been to many since we’ve been back. This post is inspiration!
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Glad to provide a reminder, Kait!
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YES! I read Cameron’s book about 25 years ago … I was in London for the summer, and I loved the idea of the artist dates. It’s easy there. Sometimes I took myself to the theater — or just out for walks, or to a museum. Glad you’re enjoying yourself, Jessie! 🙂 Thanks for reminding me of the practice.
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That sounds fabulous, Karen!
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What a fun event! I love going to festivals if it isn’t too hot or too crowded. I went with friend of the Wickeds, Vida, to a lovely antique show in Gettysburg pre-covid. It was fabulous. I left more than I bought and still regret not buying an amazing collapsible oak bookcase. I’ve never seen one since.
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I can imagine that you would still think if a bookcase like that!
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Hi Jessie. I am a big proponent of artist dates. For me, it is often museums, large or small, general or highly specialized. My sister-in-law used to go to the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival every year.
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Museums are on my list too, especially historical museums in small towns!
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I don’t tend to go to festivals unless the topic interests me. Which is why I just go to book festivals, I guess.
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Book festivals are amongst my favorites!
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I love looking at yarn! I’m a knitter, and I always thought I’d take up weaving when I retired. The thing is, I’ve no idea when I’ll be retiring.:)
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There were weavers at the festival I attended! It is intriguing!
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My wife, Tara Laskowski, and I are working together through the 12 weeks of The Artist’s Way right now—and we’re each enjoying our individual Artist Dates. It was such fun to see your post today and to hear about your own adventures here!
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I hope you have an amazing adventure together!
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I love the NH Sheep and Wool Festival! I could watch the sheep herding all day! I’m so glad you went and had a great time!
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