The second-annual Quilcene Fiber Festival set records as one of the largest gatherings in South Jefferson County, according to the Quilcene Historical Museum, which hosted the event at Worthington Park on Saturday, Oct. 7.

Brian Cullin, who handles communications for the museum, reported that the festival attracted more than 600 attendees. More than 300 motor vehicles were parked in the area. Both numbers were records for Worthington Park.

“The cars were parked by Boy Scouts, so between them and those of us associated with the Historical Museum, it was an all-volunteer operation,” said Cullin, as he noted that the event was entirely free to the public. “It ended up not only being our biggest Fiber Festival yet, but it was also the largest single-day financial event for Quilcene in 2023, and possibly for South County as well.”

Cullin was the first to admit his economic assertions are based on largely anecdotal evidence, but after speaking with the proprietors of both the Quilbilly’s Restaurant and Taproom and the Gear Head Deli, they agreed that both years of the Fiber Festival “overwhelmed” them with their biggest days for customer traffic in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

“We were blessed with great weather, and it was the first time in recent memory that we had nonstop performances on our ‘Linger Longer’ outdoor stage,” Cullin said. “Last year, it was so cold and rainy that we had to set up restricted fires in pits, along with propane heaters, so we decided to reschedule the event from November to October this year.”

The event’s exhibitors and vendors included sheep shearers and sheep dog demonstrators, as well as the “Wool Waulkers” singing circle, the Sacred Harp singers, the Olympic Peninsula Alpaca Rescue and what Cullin estimated to be close to 20 fiber artists, who were split between being “outside in the beautiful meadow,” and in the newly restored Victorian mansion, a.k.a. the 1892 Hamilton-Worthington House.

“Every vendor, to a person, said this was the best venue they had participated in,” Cullin said. “Last year, we only had one vendor in our field, with the rest inside, but this year, we doubled our vendors, so there were only so many we could still fit in the mansion.”

This left about 10 vendors to make camp in tents in the meadow, which coincidentally placed them next to the stage, and what Cullin heard from the various wool weavers, spinners and knitters was that they considered it a “wonderful combination” to be sited beside the musicians and other performers.

“It’s rare that we can take full advantage of all 10 acres of our property, from the education being provided in the museum during the festival, to the cafe truck serving food and beverages by our historic barn, to the alpacas next to the pond,” Cullin said. “The Quilcene Historical Museum is continuing to punch far above its weight.”

Cullin closed his remarks by paying tribute to fiber artist Lise Solvang, whose “Fiber and Clay” shop started in Quilcene before moving to Brinnon, since the Fiber Festival was her “brainchild,” which she’s worked to organize even while balancing other challenging responsibilities.