Fleece Fest Comes to Prospect Park Zoo This Weekend!

Two Cotswold, three Babydolls and three Jacobs four-horned sheep will get their annual haircuts this weekend at the .

Now in its 18th year, the annual festival is one of the zoo’s most popular, according to a zoo official, who added that since the sheep need to be sheared for summer anyway, it made sense to turn the event into a festival.

The barn-wide haircut, which takes place all weekend at and also includes a demonstrations of felt making, finger-knitting and how wool is made into yarn as well as the sheep shearing itself, accompanied by ample explanation and a chance to ask questions.

In addition to the shearing of Duggan, , Bonnie and the zoo’s other five sheep, and craft activities, there will be a "Barnyard Hoedown" with country music.

“This year promises to be another fun-filled event for all ages. The Prospect Park Zoo’s sheep and alpacas will be helped out of their winter coats by expert sheep shearer Don Kading. Local artisans will demonstrate wool working, and the Otter Brothers will entertain the crowd with their variety of live country music,” said Prospect Park Zoo Director Denise McClean in a news release.

Here’s the full schedule, which is the same on Saturday and Sunday:

Crafts: Make a special craft to celebrate our barnyard animals.
Time: 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Location: Animals in Art 

Wooly Wonders: Learn the art of felt-making and play the "sheep to sweater" game.
Time: Noon–4:00 p.m.
Location: Barnyard

Barnyard Hoedown: Get your toes a-tappin’ to live music by the Otter Brothers
Time: 2:00–5:00 p.m.
Location: Barnyard

Sheep Shearing: Come see our sheep get their annual haircuts! 
Time: 1:30 and 3:30
Location: Barnyard

Leffert’s Historic House After seeing the sheep get sheared, walk next door to Leffert’s Historic House and try your hand at washing, carding, spinning, and weaving wool into cloth. On this weekend, a hand stamp admits you to both the Zoo and Leffert’s.
Time: 1:00–4:00 p.m.