Wool Festival returns to Leeds this summer

The city’s craft community will come together this summer to celebrate the wonderful world of wool.

Plans for this year’s Wool Festival at Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills are being finalised, with the event set to take place on Saturday, June 4.

The festival, one of the highlights of the museum’s calendar, will be returning for the third year and will include a market place with a selection of locally-produced yarn, craft tools and textiles for sale.

The event will also feature live music and dance performances inspired by Yorkshire’s textile industry, films in the 1920s cinema including the award winning ‘Addicted to Sheep’ as well as some adorable lambs and alpacas

The very popular pop-up café hosted by The Darling Roses branch of the Women’s Institute will also return, selling delicious homemade cakes and teas.

This year’s festival will be the first major event the historic former mill has hosted since it was forced to close due to flooding in December.

Councillor Brian Selby, Leeds City Council’s lead member for museums and galleries, said:

“It’s great to see the Wool Festival back at Leeds Industrial Museum and to see an important chapter in the city’s heritage being celebrated once again at this fantastic event.

“It’s will also be inspiring to see all the hard work done in the wake of December’s devastating floods come to fruition and to see the museum getting back on its feet with such a colourful occasion.”

The Wool Festival takes place Saturday, June 4 from 10am to 5pm and usual admission applies. Parking on site is limited, so visitors are encouraged to use public transport.

Leeds Industrial Museum is expected to re-open to the public later this month.

The museum is housed in what was once the world's largest woollen mill and gives visitors a chance to learn about the industrial history of Leeds, including manufacturing textiles and clothing to printing, engineering and locomotives.

For more information about Leeds Industrial Museum please visit: www.leeds.gov.uk/armleymills

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact:

Stuart Robinson

Communications Officer

Leeds City Council

Tel: 0113 224 3937

Email: stuart.robinson@leeds.gov.uk

www.leeds.gov.uk