Canada’s largest fiber festival returns to Saint-André-Avellin for their 12th edition 

Sophie Demers 

Many may not know of the vibrant fiber community in the Outaouais. In fact, the largest fiber festival in the country, Festival TWIST, takes place in Saint-André-Avellin every year. This year, the 12th edition of the festival will be held at Complexe Whissel August 9 to 11. 

The festival was founded in 2012 by former TV producer turned goat farmer, fiber enthusiast, yarn shop owner, and now TWIST festival director Amélie Blanchard. “There was no wool event in Quebec, so I decided to create my dream festival. I wanted it to be modern, I wanted it to have a lot of talent, all the textiles represented, and workshops,” said Blanchard. 

The event gathers thousands of textiles enthusiasts, passionate about a range of fiber arts such as wool producing, weaving, knitting, crochet, macrame, embroidery, sewing, felting and much more. This year, there will be over 120 artisans and shops spread across several exhibition rooms, offering a variety of products, such as yarn, supplies, equipment, one-of-a-kind works, handmade objects, and advice on fiber art. 

Blanchard, along with festival art director Eveline Cantin-Bergeron, started planning the event in the fall. The TWIST team and over 50 volunteers allow for the unique festival to take place each year. 

There is something for everyone in this year's programming, with talks, activities, the textile market, and workshops. There will be a round table about transparency and traceability in the fiber world and a talk from Centre de conservation du Québec about Quebec’s textile history. Participants can sign up for a variety of workshops and there are also many activities for kids. 

“This year, we wanted to highlight the work of the transformers, breeders, producers of animal-based products. These people have incredible knowledge, who produce wool, who raise animals, who transform it into usable fiber,” said Cantin-Bergeron. We have speakers who will talk about what it means to be a breeder, and how it supports Quebec’s textile world.”

For more information about the complete programming or to purchase tickets, readers can visit the website: www.festivaltwist.org

TWIST is still accepting applications for volunteers and encouraging anyone interested to sign up through the website. 

Photo caption: TWIST festival, Canada’s largest fiber festival. 

Photo credit: Courtesy