‘Sheep-to-Shawl' festival in Sleepy Hollow

 Newborn lambs and shearing shaggy sheep are part of the fun at Philipsburg Manor April 18-19

SLEEPY HOLLOW, NY (April 6, 2008) - Sheep ready to lose their winter coats will be shorn by hand in the style of the 18^th century at Philipsburg Manor's Sheep-to-Shawl festival, taking place Saturday and Sunday, April 18-19, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

As they explore this 18^th-century working farm, visitors will also see 19 newborn baby lambs - including a set of triplets - born this spring on site, frolicking about the grounds. This is a record for Philipsburg Manor and its ram, "Lucky," who is truly living up to his name. Other new additions to the farm this year include Maebell the milk cow's new heifer calf, Marigold. The site's four-year-old working oxen, Josh and Jake, will also be part of the day's events.

"Spring at Philipsburg Manor is a really special time, and this event really gives visitors the full flavor of what we do here," said Thom Thacker, site director of Philipsburg Manor. Tours and programs at this living history museum and working farm reflect the daily lives of the 23 enslaved individuals known to have lived and labored there. Philipsburg Manor is the country's only fully staffed living history museum to focus on the history of northern slavery.

While strolling through the site, an Historic Hudson Valley living history museum which includes a working water-powered gristmill and a new world Dutch barn, visitors can watch as Gene Sheninger showcases his Scottish border collies and their instinctive and impressive ability to herd sheep and corral ducks.

Philipsburg Manor's farmers will be shearing the sheep in the barnyard by hand while costumed interpreters continuously demonstrate wool dyeing, spinning, and weaving, and lead special hands-on activities for children. Picnic food is available.

Visitors can see the entire process of making woolen cloth and participate in many stages of the process once the sheep are sheared: picking and carding the wool, spinning and dyeing the yarn, and weaving it into cloth. Interpreters, wearing costume of the 18^th century, also demonstrate the labor-intensive process of making linen from the flax plant.

Storyteller Jonathan Kruk will be on hand to share his tales.

Sheep-to-Shawl is held rain or shine. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $6 for children ages 5-17. Members of Historic Hudson Valley and children under 5 attend for free. Tickets can be purchased online at www.hudsonvalley.org. Philipsburg Manor is at 381 North Broadway (Route 9) in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., two miles north of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Information: 914-631-3992, www.hudsonvalley.org.