New at Wildlife West Nature Park in Edgewood is the spring Heart of New Mexico Fiber & Art gathering on Saturday and Sunday, May 20 & 21, 2023 from 10:00 am. to 5:00 p.m. The event brings more than 20 artists from around the region who will demonstrate yarn spinning, knitting, lace making, crocheting and more. Visitors can feel the coats of Cashgora goats, llamas, alpacas, and three types of sheep:  Debouillet, Valias Blacknose and Wensleydale sheep. Connect with fiber vendors selling everything from raw fleeces, beautiful yarns, fiber equipment, finished fiber products as well as jewelry, paintings, Mexican tin art, totems made with natural materials, and others.  Check out the competitions for handspun yarn, garments, home accessories and raw fleeces featuring wool, mohair and alpaca.  Workshops will be given by the area’s top fiber artists.

Stop by the kid’s booth which will feature lots of hands-on projects, the fiber educational booth, t-shirt sales booth, and enter the raffle contest.  Enjoy live music and yummy things to eat.

Then visit the native wildlife zoo at Wildlife West to observe Koshari, 500-pound black bear, get eye to eye with sister cougars True and Zia, find all 4 tree-climbing grey foxes and interact with the Park’s magnificent Bald Eagle who likes to “talk” to visits, along with 20 other species of wildlife and raptors.

All activities throughout the weekend are included in the regular admission to Wildlife West: $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 students and children 4 and younger are free. Plus, free parking.  Watch for the fall Fiber & Art Gathering in conjunction with Wildlife West’s Annual Harvest Festival on September 2 & 3, 2023.  Wildlife West is located just 25 minutes east of Albuquerque, off Interstate-40 and legendary Route 66 in Edgewood. For more information visit www.wildlifewest.org or call 505-281-7655.