My Favorite Local Fiber Festival: Fiber Fusion Northwest

This weekend I will be surrounded by the sounds of bleating sheep and goats while I walk amongst tables lined with bag after bag of raw fleece, beautiful crimped locks covered in lanolin. I’ll likely smile and chat with strangers eager to share and learn about more fiber arts as we shop the rows and rows of beautifully dyed yarn, clever notions and spinning fiber in endless blends from more breeds of sheep than I can count on my fingers. This is Fiber Fusion Northwest, happening June 6th-7th, 2026 in Monroe, Washington, and it’s easily my favorite event of the year.

Picture of the Fiber Fusion Northwest sign hanging on one of the Evergreen State Fairgrounds buildings in 2024 during the event.

About Fiber Fusion

Fiber Fusion Northwest (FFNW) is held annually over the first full weekend of June at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds, less than an hour drive from Seattle. This is a family friendly, free to attend (including parking), event. It’s hosted by the North Sound Alpaca Association (NSAA) and brought to life by a great team of volunteers. Fiber Fusion states their goal is “to support fiber artists, local breeders, and fiber related businesses by increasing public awareness of natural fibers and their many creative uses”. I feel like they absolutely hold to this goal. Fiber Fusion consists of live fiber animals, a vendor marketplace, classes, a fleece show and sale, used equipment sale, food vendors, and free demonstrations.

The first Fiber Fusion Northwest was held in 2011, which means this is the event’s 15th birthday this year. While the bulk of the Fiber Fusion activities occur on Saturday and Sunday, in the recent years they added Friday as an extra day just for classes. No demonstrations or marketplace are available that day, however, it has allowed them to expand their class offerings even further. There are a large number of full day and half day classes available each year that span the full fiber journey; from animal care and raw fleece preparation to finished textile techniques like lace and rug hooking.

Things to do at Fiber Fusion

No matter your specific fiber interests or skill level, there are a lot of things to do and see. In both the pavilion building where the animals are located, and the event center building where the vendor hall is, you will find demo stations. If you are interested in raw fleece judging, that can be found in the pavilion as well. After judging for a round has been completed, fleeces get put out for sale, so check back often if you are looking for something specific.

If shopping is what you are after, don’t miss the used equipment sale in the pavilion building along with the non-judged and judged fleece sale. You will see everything from fiber processing tools to whole weaving floor looms at the used sale. The event center contains the majority of the vendors that cover every niche of the fiber arts and more. For the best selection, try to go on Saturday, some of my favorites can have limited stock if I wait until Sunday to take a good look.

For more in-depth learning than you may get from a demo, you can also take classes. Classes aren’t included in admission so they do have varied fees. While they do welcome walk-ins, many classes fill up well in advance, so try to sign up early. Check out the Fiber Fusion class page for details on specific classes and signing up.

Before You Go

Here’s what you need to know before heading out.

• Main event Saturday June 6th 9am-6pm and Sunday June 7th 9am-5pm

• Classes only Friday June 5th

• Parking is free in the yellow lot

• Make sure you stop in at the Welcome Desk for your Event Guide, Passport Game and raffle tickets

• Keep an eye on the time if you are trying to catch a scheduled demo

• The pavilion houses the live animals, used equipment sale, some vendors, a demo station, the fleece show (starts Saturday at 9:00am), and raw fleece sale

• The event center houses the welcome desk, the raffle location, passport game submission, winding station, spinning circle, crafting tables, a majority of vendors, two demo stations and the fiber arts show submissions

• The event is fully under cover/indoors but parking and the grounds can be impacted by weather. If it is rainy, wear footwear that can handle some mud and the odd puddle.

Several on-site food options will be available.

• Sage’s Coffee Company Saturday and Sunday 7:30am-4:00pm (Friday for classes and load-in 8:00am-4:00pm)

• LaLa’s Mexican Cuisine Saturday breakfast 8:00am-10:00am Saturday and Sunday Lunch 10:00am-4:00pm

• Yummy Catch Saturday and Sunday 10:00am-4:00pm (Friday for classes and load-in 10:30am-3:00pm)

• Covered picnic tables are available near food vendors

Fiber Fusion Classes

This year there are 16 categories of classes from Animal Health, Handling, and Management all the way through to Bobbin Lace. Want to learn Rug Hooking, Naalbinding, or spinning? Maybe some beginner or advanced knitting and crochet techniques? Or natural dyeing? Fiber Fusion has classes available for all of these and more.

Last year my teenager (14 at the time) took a goat milk soap making class. They had a lot of fun and came away with multiple bars of soap dusted with and smelling strongly of lavender. My teenager was so pleased to have soap they made themselves to give away to family and friends once it was done curing. Together we took a DIY Floral class by Jennifer Kaylor of Jenny Lynn Wool Creations, an excellent choice to do together as it was within both of our skill levels. We had fun comparing our color palette choices, my teenager pleasantly surprised when I made a selection they approved of. We enjoyed it so much we made sure to stop by the Jenny Lynn booth later and buy another couple kits to do at home.

My Fiber Fusion Experience

Classes are a highlight, but honestly Fiber Fusion has something to offer if you never sign up for a single one. I know because that’s exactly how I spent my first couple years.

I was not actively attending fiber festivals or shows in 2011 when Fiber Fusion began. My first Fiber Fusion was in the summer of 2022. I really enjoyed it and even had my Mom go with me. She isn’t really a fiber artist and she had a wonderful time as well. I almost got her into rug hooking that year. For a couple years I spent my time watching the demonstrations, marveling at the submitted art, lingering around the fleece judging, and saying hello to all of the fiber animals (absolutely a requirement). I quickly started spending a lot of time in the fleece sale area, and learned if I wanted to see the really cool things at the used equipment sale, showing up earlier was definitely better. I also inevitably learned I enjoy supporting my fellow small business owners and artists, and usually spend more than I mean to.

A couple of years ago I started taking classes. My first was a yarn dyeing class using acid dyes. It was a fantastic experience that helped me down another fiber arts rabbit hole. The possibilities that are there just playing with a couple colors is as exciting as seeing the color palettes in the world around you that you want to recreate.

This year I’ve cleared my calendar and plan to make the most of the weekend without a schedule to keep. Just wandering, shopping, and saying hello. I hope that includes you. Fiber Fusion is an event that genuinely matters; for the community it builds, the knowledge it spreads, and the way it keeps traditional and modern fiber arts alive and growing. It deserves every bit of support it gets. For more information on Fiber Fusion Northwest and how you can support this great event, visit their website.

If you missed Fiber Fusion and are looking for fiber or yarn, check out the Evening Spin Etsy Shop.