Friends of Clermont - Special Events and Educational Programs

Families Celebrate 200 Year Old Festival!

Families can get a taste of a 200-year-old tradition at Clermont State Historic Site on Saturday, April 25^th at Clermont State Historic Site. The Chancellor’s Sheep & Wool Showcase is a public festival going all the way back to 1805! Here families can enjoy a fun day watching as wool is processed from the sheep to the shawl, right before their eyes. It’s a day full of family activities, book signings, local artisans, music, and hot food. The event runs from 11am to 4:30pm and costs just $8 per vehicle. The rain date is April 26^th.

Live demonstrations of wool and sheep-related skills will run all day long, and there are many opportunities to try some of these out for yourself. Begin the process at 11:30 by watching skilled sheep sheerer Fred DePaul demonstrate three centuries of sheep sheering traditions and technologies. See wool spun into yarn and thread by the Elemendorf Spinners and 1^st Sunday Spinners, and compare it to techniques of 200 years ago as demonstrated by the women of the 1^st Ulster County Militia. See the yarn woven into cloth by the Trinity Weavers before you try out stamping, stenciling, and natural dyeing techniques with the museum’s staff.

Children are always welcome at the Showcase. Has your child ever touched a real sheep or seen a living llama up close? Give them that opportunity at Clermont. Hands-on activities are provided by many of our demonstrators or they can make felted-bead necklaces in brilliant colors. These fashionable accessories are making waves with crafters across the country. Special children’s tours with a “Spot the Sheep” scavenger hunt are available in historic the mansion throughout the day—let your child bring home a sheepy souvenir from the experience. Or take them to hear well-known children’s author Hudson Talbot read from his newest book River of Dreams at 3:30pm.

One of the highlights the day is watching the trained border collies of Wild Goose Chase showing off their stuff on the terrace above the festival grounds. These talented dogs and their skilled handlers will make herding ducks look easy. You’ll be amazed! Fred DePaul Demonstration

Looking for some more adult activities? Sit down with Celtic music from the David Godding Band and light-hearted dancing at 12:50 and 2:00. Hear steamboat expert Travis Bowman explain the connected between Merino sheep and the first sailing of the Robert Fulton steamboat in 1807. Leisurely shopping at the festival’s artisan shopping concourse will be available between 11am and 4:30pm. These artists, craftspeople, and purveyors of unique and curious goods will, tickle your fancy with a huge variety of both craft supplies and finished goods. Dazzling colors burst out of every booth! Many of the Showcase’s best deals can be found at the Chancellor’s Silent Auction, an event to support the Friends of Clermont, who sponsor the Showcase.

For more information on the Sheep & Wool Showcase, vendor registration, or volunteering as a knitting teacher, please contact Kjirsten Gustavson at (518) 537-4240, or visit www.friendsofclermont.org.

Clermont State Historic Site features the mansion, formal gardens, scenic Hudson River views and miles of hiking trails. The Friends of Clermont is a private, non-profit educational corporation, founded in 1977 to support and supplement the museum education and historic preservation programs at Clermont State Historic Site. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973, Clermont is one of six historic sites and 12 parks administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in the Taconic Region. For more information on New York State Parks, please visit our website at www.nysparks.com.

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Shopping at the Clermont Sheep & Wool Showcase

Wool Demonstration at the Clermont Sheep & Wool Showcase