Mountain and Valley Fiber Arts Festival 2026

Celebrate 43 years of creativity, craftsmanship, and connection at the Mountain and Valley Fiber Arts Festival - an unforgettable destination event where passion for fiber comes to life.  This is more than a festival; it is an immersive experience designed to inspire, educate, and connect everyone from curious beginners to seasoned fiber enthusiats.

A premier regional juried fiber arts festival, celebrating the full spectrum of natural fibers and the artists who transform them.  We welcome creators working with animal and plant fibers, as well as growers offering high-quality fleece and raw materials for makers.

Our festival also opens its doors to artists in all mediums whose work highlights fiber animals, fiber arts, handcrafted tools, and the vibrant culture surrounding them.

The result is a dynamic event that blends education, artistry, and community - a place where makers, growers, artists, and enthusiasts come together to learn, shop, connect and be inspired.

 

The Mountain and Valley Fiber Arts Festival takes place October 3 and 4, 2026 in stunning Durango, Colorado.  The festival will be held at the La Plata County Fairgrounds and Event Center, offering both indoor and outdoor vendor space.  The application deadline is Sunday, August 15th.  We have implemented a "rolling" jury process.  This means that as soon as we receive your application, it will be submitted to and reviewed by our jury.  You will be informed of acceptance within 2 weeks of being juried.

Vendors must be a member of the Mountain and Valley Wool Association.  By submitting your application and paying the membership fee, you will automatically be a member of the organization.  The show does not require a separate Jury fee.  A single artist, family, livestock organizaton, or guild count as one member.  Details are in the 'Booth Information' section below.

Organizations representing the natural fiber area, nonprofits, etc may also apply for space, and will be reviewed by our Jury.  Please read the '2026 Organization Information' document for more details.

All forms of original fiber art made from natural fibers and products supporting the fiber arts are welcome.  Other art mediums are welcome as long as they are promoting the natural fiber industry, such as photography, painting, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, etc.; depicting natural fiber and fiber animal themes.

Allowed Merchandise:

• Fiber Animal Products:  Hand crafted products produced from natural animal fibers.  Wool, fleece, pelts and products made from these fibers.  Yarn, roving, felt, finished products and other artist creations.  Milk products, horns and meat may also be considered.
• Other Natural Fiber Products:  Plant fiber, wood, cotton, linen, paper and products made from these, such as basketry, jewlery, handmade paper, handmade books.  Items should preferably promote animal fiber through print, engraving, etc.
• Equipment and Supplies:  Examples include: spinning wheels, looms, knitting needles, dyes, buttons, books, hand-crafted tools, paper-making supplies, patterns used for creating natural fiber products.
• Other Art Medium:  Paintings, jewelry, ceramics, etc, promoting the natural fiber industries.

Festival Hours:
Saturday, October 3, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 4, 2026 from  9:00 a.m. to 4:00 pm

2026 Vendor Information
2026 Organization Information
 

Applicants must read the '2026 Vendor Information' document prior to completing their application.

Vendor / Artist Requirements

1. All goods offered for sale must be original work, produced and owned by the member and should be focused on natural fibers.
2. Vendors must have added value to fiber and fiber products through processes such as spinning, dyeing, knitting, weaving, felting, carving, etc.
3. Fiber merchandise should focus on the natural fiber itself, and promote, emphasize, and be "about" the natural fiber.  For finished goods the amount of natural fiber is at the discretion of the Vendor; however, the item should visibily contain as least 50% animal fiber or 75% plant or other fiber.
4. Bags, baskets, containers, made by vendors from plant or other non-animal natural fibers may be offered for sale but the merchandise must have been produced entirely by the vendor and may not be resale items.
5. Other art mediums such as paintings, jewelry, drawings, ceramics, etc. should reflect and promote the natural fiber industry.
6. Resale items of any kind without obvious value added by the vendor themselves are not permitted.
7. All booths are to be open for business during the Festival's stated hours.  Vendors may not set up, break down, or give the appearance of doing either during business hours.

Insurance Requirement:

• Vendors may be held liable for injury and/or damage caused by their property, including but not limited to their structures, fixtures, tent, etc.  Therefore MAVWA requires that every vendor otain Event Insurance.
• All vendors are required to have General Liability insurance with a minimum coverage of $1,000,000 per occurence and $2,000,000 in aggregate.
  • Mountain and Valley Wool Association (MAVWA) and the La Plata County Fairgrounds must both be named along with their addresses as additionally insured.
    • MAVWA, PO Box 2754, Taos, NM 87571
    • La Plata County Fairgrounds and Event Center, 2500 Main Avenue, Durango, CO 81301
  • Send a copy of your insurance certificate to MAVWAVendors@gmail.com as soon as you receive it.

Taxes

• Every vendor is responsible for collecting sales tax and paying it to the relevant Colorado tax department.  If you are a 501(c)3 nonprofit, please check with the tax department, as some nonprofits are liaible for paying sales tax.
• Each vendor must have both a Colorado Department of Taxation and Revenue Sales Tax I.D. number and a Durango City Sales Tax ID number.
• See the Colorado Taxation and Revenue Department website for 2026 sales tax rate abd  information.  https://tax.colorado.gov/sales-use-tax and local rates:  https://salestaxlookup.colorado.gov/

Festival Vendor Specifics:

• Vendor setup begins Friday morning.  All vendors must be set up by 9:00 P.M. Friday.
• Electricity is available ONLY as described in booth offers.  Generator are not allowed.
• Wifi is provided by the fairgrounds; however, is not guaranteed by MAVWA.
• Indoor spaces will be marked, but pipe and drape between booths will not be provided.  Vendors should bring their own booth walls
• Tent / Canopy frames may be used without the material covering the frame for indoor booths.
• If using a tent frame or similar structure for an indoor booth space, Fairground regulations require that the "roof" is not covered or obstructed.
• Every booth and its contents are expected to be tidy, in good taste, family-friendly, and generally attractive.
• Every booth and all its merchandise, displays, fixtures, furniture, and equipment must be contained within the booth 's allocated space.
• Every vendor must display a sign or signs indicating the name of the vendor's business, and a booth number sign (provided upon checkin by MAVWA).
• If allocated an outdoor space, the Vendor must provide a tent of appropriate size for their space.  All outdoor structures and displays must be well-constructed and able to withstand wind, rain and snow.
• Outdoor tents msut be secured with sufficient weight to withstand any weather conditions.  The surface will be concrete or asphalt, and a weight of a least 30 pounds per canopy leg is recommended.
• In 2026, all vendors must provide an item of at least a $40 retail value for the fund-raising silent auction.
• Vendor check-in and set up begins at 8:00 am on Friday, October 2.  However, we will be offering vendors who volunteer to help on Friday the opportunity to set up on Thursday, October 1.

Membership Fee:
MAVWA is a membership organization open to all.   A $35 individual / family membership, or $60 organizaton membership non-refundable fee is required.  There is not a separate jury fee.  The membership fee will cover the jury process.

Booth Fee:
Single Booth  10' wide  x 10' deep = $325
Double Booth  20' wide x 10' deep = $650

Emerging Artist Option:
8' wide x 4' deep = $104    Intended for the emerging artist who is new to festivals.
 

All withdrawals from the jury process must be in writing before the jury process is completed.  Once you have been notified of acceptance into the festival, you will also be notified of your payment due date.

Cancellations received in writing before August 1, 2026 will receive a full refund of their booth fee, minus a $50 administration fee.  Membership fees are non-refundable.

No refund will be provided for cancellations received on or after August 1, 2026.