From My Perspective: The things that bring us together

Last weekend was my annual trip to Whitehall for the Copper K Fiber Festival. This festival holds a spot near and dear to my heart for many reasons. The first is that it is the festival that began my career as a fiber arts instructor. Six years ago, they gave me a shot at teaching a felting class, and as they say, the rest is history.

It’s considered a destination fiber festival at the historic Copper K Barn. The grounds are beautiful. The barn, a perfect venue, and they even have the most wonderful outdoor, rustic, metal showers.

The festival is a family affair. Kami, who runs the festival; Laci, who manages the venue (normally reserved for weddings and special events); and Mickey, who helps wherever needed throughout the event, are the three sisters who essentially make it happen. Their husbands, children, friends and other family members help with the set-up and tear-down. This year they went above and beyond as a microburst took out a few tents and outdoor booths, and outdoor vendors had to break down a little earlier than normal.

The festival is also one that brings vendors and attendees from all over. Vendors come from Idaho, Montana, Washington, Wyoming, Nevada, Iowa, Colorado, Michigan, Alabama and more. Attendees also come from all those places and more.

I look forward to this event each year, not just because it’s a place where I teach and sell the things I make, but more because of the people I get to see. Return attendees and class-goers never disappoint, however my favorite part of the event is visiting with all these like-minded people for an entire weekend - and sometimes, this is the only time I get to see them in person.

We talk sheep, alpacas and other fiber animals. We talk yarn, patterns, books, techniques, new items, concepts, trends and barter our wares with one another. We talk about what’s happened in the past year since we saw each other last and make plans for next year. We catch up on friends and family, which is interesting because these people feel like both to me.

Each festival I attend has some aspect of these things, but this festival just has the energy of bringing people together.

Several vendors and participants camp there too, in what is normally a hay field. Campers, vans, tents and cars line the field in rows, and the energy there is just wonderful. Class participants talk about what they learned, and vendors and instructors often come up with their next best idea or collaboration project. There’s laughter, cookouts, quiet conversations, solitude for those who need it, spin-ins, knitting jams, music and did I mention laughter?

This festival technically just brings everyone together for a weekend; in reality, it’s brought me together with people year-after-year, and in ways I never could have imagined. It gives me hope, that in a world so divided, so on edge and maybe even a little off its axis, there is always something that can bring people together.

It makes me wonder in what other ways we could come together. I know most of you have no intention, or even a desire, to attend a fiber festival. It’s not your thing, and that’s cool. But, I imagine there is something you enjoy that has some sort of gathering, collaboration or event where you could go and make your own connections, and be brought together with some other like-minded individuals.

I have friends who attend quilting bees, tractor shows, hunting and gun shows, car rallies, various workshops, vintage markets, fairs and so on. What is it you enjoy that you could go to and create a community of people with common interests where you could all be brought together the way this festival does for me and those who attend?

Think about it. Like-minded people who gather often accomplish great things. Sometimes they accomplish nothing more than being brought together and feeling like they belong somewhere; that what they say and do has value and that there are other people who think and believe the way they do. Imagine being part of something bigger than yourself without having to lose yourself in the process.

For me, it’s this fiber festival and the people I meet and see there that make me feel connected. For you, it might be something entirely different. Whatever it is, find a way to be brought together with those who feed your soul, who make you feel part of something without you having to let go of who you really are. And then find more things that bring you together.