Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival
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The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival is the largest show featuring domestic sheep and wool in North America. It is held annually during the first weekend in May at the Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship, Maryland, and is hosted by the maryland Sheep Breeder's Association. It has vendors of wool yarn, and judging of more than 30 sheep breeds. Vendors of other fiber-producing livestock such as goats, angora rabbits, llamas, and alpaca also attend. Other events include live music, a "sheep to shawl" contest, and border collie demonstrations. Food vendors sell various lamb dishes including, lamb burgers, gyros, and lamb sausage. There are also lamb cooking contests and lamb cooking demonstrations.
The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival is the largest of its kind, with more than 50,000 visitors in 2005. The festival was started in 1973 and is run by volunteers from the Maryland Sheep Breeders Association; the 2007 festival was the 34th.
