Rhinebeck 101: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to NY Sheep & Wool

Rhinebeck 101: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to NY Sheep & Wool


August 30th, 2024 8 minute read

Many fiber enthusiasts are familiar with the annual New York Sheep and Wool Festival. Often referred to simply as "Rhinebeck" for the town in which it takes place, this weekend is packed full with events, vendors (like us!), and plenty of fun. 

Whether you're planning your very first Rhinebeck trip, or are a seasoned pro in search of some overlooked gems of information, we're here to help with a guide that covers (mostly) everything you could wonder! In this guide, you'll find:

  • a brief overview of the NY Sheep and Wool Festival
  • best practices to prepare for your weekend at Rhinebeck
  • things to keep in mind while you're there
  • other must-see stops during your stay!

What is NY Sheep and Wool?


A wooly friend decked out in seasonal garb at Rhinebeck.


The New York Sheep and Wool Festival is one of the premier events for yarn lovers from all around the world! Hosted on the Dutchess County fairgrounds, this sprawling festival is a weekend full of fiber, friends, and fun. Festival-goers can enjoy visiting animals, watching demos, attending book signings, shopping for fiber and notions, and more! 

One of our favorite parts of Rhinebeck is visiting the animals, some of which are often located in the barn next to our booth! You can find lots of different fiber-producing friends at the festival, such as different breeds of sheep, alpacas, and even angora rabbits. A long-standing favorite is the Llama Parade, which takes place Sunday morning (and also starts nearby our booth, a few doors down in Barn 27). 

The festival takes place annually during the third weekend of October.  

What's a "Rhinebeck Sweater"?

Knitters, crocheters, and other fiber folks who flock to NY Sheep and Wool every year often make a special, handmade garment just for the occasion. Affectionally termed a "Rhinebeck Sweater," this is a perfect opportunity for festival-goers to share their love of fiber with other attendees! Don't worry if you don't have time to knit an entire sweater by October (although it's often possible with super chunky Loopy Mango yarn!) — a "Rhinebeck Sweater" can be a sweater, cardigan, shawl, hat, or any other item that's made with love. We've even seen multiple visitors wearing mostly-finished sweaters with the needles still attached! 

Things to Know Before You Go

Travel & Accommodations

Folks flock to Rhinebeck from all around the world, so you'll want to make sure you secure your accommodations and travel plans as early as possible. In addition to the festival, October is peak tourism season for the Hudson Valley. You'll quickly learn why when you visit — the fall foliage is nothing short of breath-taking!

The town of Rhinebeck is usually fully booked months in advance, so if you need to stay overnight it's worth looking at nearby towns and cities. Kingston, located right across the Hudson River from Rhinebeck, is a beautiful city with plenty of restaurants, historical buildings, and art galleries to explore. Poughkeepsie is just a short drive south of Rhinebeck and is home to destinations such as the Bardavon Opera House and the Walkway Over the Hudson. 

Something important to keep in mind is that, despite being just two hours north of NYC, Rhinebeck is relatively rural. Because of that, public transportation and rideshare services are somewhat scarce, and even more likely to be unreliable during a busy tourism weekend like NY Sheep and Wool. If you're traveling from out of town by means other than a car, it's worth looking into renting a vehicle for your stay — or finding another fiber friend who will be driving to the festival!  

Another popular option for those in nearby NYC is to join a bus tour that brings you right to Rhinebeck! Various different groups organize these buses, so be sure to check in with your favorite local yarn shop to see if they're coordinating (or know someone coordinating) something. We know that Cleo's Shop in Brooklyn is offering a bus for one day the 2024 festival — be sure to check it out! 

 

Plan Your Day

While a bit of flexibility and spontaneity is encouraged for the weekend, planning ahead will certainly come in handy for certain aspects of the festival. Here's what we recommend doing ahead of time:

  • Buy Tickets: While tickets are available at the gate, there are several benefits to buying online presale tickets ahead of time. The pre-sale price will save you a few dollars, and also secures you a spot at the festival. Previous years have sold out, so you certainly want to make sure you have your ticket before you arrive at the fairgrounds. You can buy tickets for the 2024 festival on the NY Sheep and Wool website. 
    • TIP! The crowds at Rhinebeck can be overwhelming, especially on Saturday! Many festival-goers don't want to risk popular items selling out before they get a chance to purchase, so Saturday is usually a more popular choice. Sunday tends to be less crowded and overwhelming — aka easier for calm perusal!
  • Register for Workshops: As of writing (August 2024), many of the classes for this year's festival are already sold out! Check out the schedule on the Sheep and Wool site to register for one of the classes that's still available. 
  • Find Your Favorite Vendors: There are a lot of vendor booths at Rhinebeck, and while some aimless wandering can introduce you to a new favorite yarn, it's definitely worth checking the festival map to notate where any of your must-stop shops are located. (You can find Loopy Mango at Building 29, Booth 11!)
  • Call Your Bank: This tip mostly only applies if you're traveling for the festival. It's important to let your bank know that you'll be traveling so that your card doesn't get declined. Reception on the fairgrounds can be spotty, so save yourself the headache of trying to call the day of by doing it before you leave home!
  • Plan to Bring Cash: In addition to the aforementioned spotty cell service that can interfere with vendors' card systems, many food vendors are cash only. Make sure to bring some cash with you, even if just as a back-up. 

Rhinebeck Reminders

So you've bought tickets, made a loose itinerary of booths and barns that you know you want to visit, and arrived at the fairgrounds! ...Now what?

Parking & Entering

There are multiple parking lots and entrance gates to the fairgrounds. Parking is free, but the lots fill up pretty fast, so if you don't arrive early, you'll probably have to walk a bit from your car to the gate. Be sure to make a note of what parking lot (and what section of the lot) that you're parked in — we like to snap a quick picture of the section sign with our phone — as well as the gate you enter through, so that you leave through the same gate. 

Food and Bathrooms

Even with a map (included in the program you should receive upon entering), the fairgrounds can be confusing. Note that most of the food vendors are grouped together near the Mulberry St entrance — and that the lines at these places get long at lunchtime! Try to plan your meals smartly so that you don't get caught in the lunch rush. 

Bathrooms are more scattered, so you can't get too far from one at any time. In a pinch, look for the Livestock Arena — there's a building right next door with bathrooms!

Be Flexible, Have Fun

Our founders, Anna and Oejong

It can be overwhelming when you want to accomplish a lot at Rhinebeck, but keep in mind why you're there: to see sheep, see friends, and have a good time. Even if you don't hit every single "to do" on your Rhinebeck Bucket List, there's a chance you'll experience some joy that you weren't expecting!

Other Sights to See!

As mentioned, New York State is breathtakingly beautiful in the fall . If you can, allow yourself some time to explore the area outside of the festival. Of course, that can (and should) include stops at some local yarn shops. We've compiled some of our favorites below:

Hudson Valley

NYC

Our designer, Oejong, at NY Sheep and Wool Festival in 2023.


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