They say that if an event can survive for three years, then it is successful. We were going to test that theory out. 2019 was the launch of our third year with organizing the Copper K Fiber Festival in Whitehall Montana at the historic (and awesome) Copper K Barn venue.
Every year the festival was better than the last and 2019 year was no exception. The weather was very comfortable and no smoke from neighboring forest fires. Bonus!!! Our camping numbers were growing and our concept of a nice enjoyable "weekend in the countryside" was taken up a notch.
Saturday night we offered a meal and live music for the instructors, students, vendors and campers. The Montana Wool Barn, a local mill in Cardwell Montana, sponsored a dinner serving us a lamb taco bar. It was delicious!
Plus we had live music from a local family in which all members honored us with their musical talents.
One of my main goals this year was having the demonstration/activity tent to start to be a driving point for more people to learn. I felt the other aspects of running a festival were becoming more manageable and becoming second nature. But this aspect of the festival, still hadn't matured into the idea that I had been hoping for. I know, give myself a break, it is only our third year. In the end, we did have quite a few very informative and fun things that came about...
Besides making and enjoying a non-competitive game of corn hole (sheep vs alpaca), there was Flax processing and spinning demo, live music by young song writers, Kumihimo weaving activity. great wheel spinning demo and barn quilt making activity. It was a fun filled weekend and all the volunteers that helped to keep this running smoothly were definitely worth their weight in gold.
This was the year that Mary Pavis Egbert with Camaj Fiber Arts and Patti Barker held some amazing classes. Mary focused on drum carding ombres and gradients and then a class on woolen and worsted preps.
Patti taught a wet felting sampler series and then a stained glass shawl. These ladies looked like they had a blast!
I could keep going on, but then this would become a novel, not a little rambling. In retrospect, this 2019 Copper K Fiber Fest has set the bar for all future events. My festival partner in crime, Kami and I always find little nuisances that could of been better, and yes, it was a hand full. But I really felt that we did ROCK one of our objectives, and that was to be a destination fiber festival. Besides, we already nailed the fun weekend in the countryside. We are Montana!
I am so proud to be one of the organizers of the Copper K Fiber Festival in Whitehall Montana. And so grateful to be friends and festival partners with Kami Noyes of Ranching Tradition Fiber. Until next year, Fiber on people!!!