The Fiber & Cider Tour: A Spring Awakening in Ulster County

In Ulster County, early spring carries a particular energy—fields waking, barns opening, and the steady rhythms of agricultural life returning to view. On Saturday, April 11, that seasonal shift is celebrated with the return of the Ulster County Fiber & Cider Tour, a free, self-guided event that invites visitors inside the region’s working farms, fiber studios, yarn shops, and cideries.

Ulster County Fiber and Cider Tour followed by an After Party Dance & Market
Twin Star Orchards, New Paltz, NY
Saturday, Apr 11 | 10 am to 7 pm
Free Event

Spanning multiple locations across the county, the tour offers a rare opportunity to meet the farmers, shepherds, and makers who shape the local fiber economy. Each stop reflects a different part of that ecosystem—from sheep and wool production to spinning, dyeing, and finished textiles—alongside orchards producing small-batch cider.

Visitors can follow the tour map to locate participating farms, studios, and orchards, then chart their own path through the county at a relaxed pace. What distinguishes this event is its emphasis on connection—an invitation to meet your neighbors and understand the processes behind what is made.

At its core, the tour is both simple and vital: a return to the region’s agricultural roots. It offers the chance to meet the sheep, step onto working farms, and get to know the shepherds who care for the land. It also traces the full arc of fiber—from raw fleece to finished textile—revealing how local wool is spun, dyed, knit, woven, and felted by artists within the same community.

Many of the participating farms carry long agricultural histories, offering a living link between past and present. Anchorage Farm in Saugerties, for example, has been in operation for more than 250 years and continues today as a working sheep farm specializing in Romney wool. Wren and Rose Farm in Wallkill has been farmed since the 1600s, its 1750s Dutch barn standing as one of the Hudson Valley’s best-preserved examples of early agricultural architecture. The Benjamin Ten Broeck House, built between 1751 and 1770, offers another historic stop, where a flock of Babydoll sheep grazes the surrounding land. Together, these sites reflect an enduring agricultural lineage—one that continues to evolve while remaining deeply rooted in tradition.

The day concludes with a community gathering at Twin Star Orchards from 4–7 p.m., featuring a Shepherd’s Market where fiber artists and local vendors come together alongside food, live music, and a sense of shared celebration. Visitors are encouraged to bring spinning wheels or fiber projects for a communal spin-in, and to shop for locally sourced wool and goods produced throughout Ulster County.

The event is free and open to all, with donations graciously accepted. Registration via Eventbrite is encouraged to help organizers plan for attendance. The tour is organized by Halyna Shepko in collaboration with Ulster County Fiber and the Ulster County Handspinners, and is sponsored by Twin Star Orchards with support from Woodstock Weavers and Elmendorph Handspinners.

Participating stops this year include: Anchorage Farm, Gardiner Bakehouse, Hedgehog and Moss Yarns, Alma Roots Farm, Hudson Valley Heirloom Farm, Jenkins Lueken Orchards, Laughing Stock Farm, Mokosh Ukrainian Weaving, Perfect Blend Yarn and Tea, Sanctuary Fibers, Seedsong Farm, Sheep Connection, Smoke House of the Catskills, Stone Ridge Orchard, Twin Star Orchards, Wren and Rose Farm, and Yarn Farm Kingston.

“The Ulster County Fiber & Cider Tour is, ultimately, an invitation to see the region differently—to slow down, to engage, and to recognize the intricate networks of people and practices that sustain local life.”

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Photos courtesy of Sasha Botanica | Featured Photo: Wren and Rose Farm 

Ulster County Fiber + Cider Tour | Free | April 11, 2026

Click HERE for Tour Map | Click HERE for Eventbrite Registration | WEBSITE

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