A Lovely Retreat
in the Great Lakes

Up close and personal workshops with inspiring world class instructors and invigorated students make for a great fiber conference. Color, texture, and weaving our lives together in an actual community – that’s what is at the heart of the Eastern Great Lakes Fiber Conference!

Our small size and intimate setting provide opportunities to make fiber friends from other guilds, especially around New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Ontario, Canada as well as with folks who haven’t yet joined a guild.

We’re thrilled to be returning to Chautauqua Institution in Western New York for 2027!  The residence hall for summer music students, now known as the Greene Family Commons, was under renovation in 2025.  We’re back to enjoy dining, lodging and evening programs all in this lovely expanded space. Instructors and students share meals together then take a short walk (or drive) away for classes in the Turner Community Center.

There are seven, 2.5 day workshops to choose from including weaving, felting, tapestry, spinning, fiber dyeing and sewing with handwovens, from Saturday morning to noon on Monday (Indigenous/Columbus Day). See our exciting lineup of instructors and class descriptions on our Classes page.

The weekend also includes:

• Friday evening Meet & Greet presentations by our instructors, once you have arrived/had supper at the Greene Family Commons.
• Saturday evening Studio Bonanza fundraiser to unload your no-longer-needed equipment, books and stash.  The fun is contagious as we drop tickets into baskets next to our hoped for prize.  Will you be a winner?
• Sunday night Banquet and Fashion Show. Don’t be shy! It’s a low-key, high-laughter time for participants of all levels to show off wearables (from scarves to full garments) on our “runway” following dinner.
• All weekend, Exhibit Tables feature work from volunteer participants – let’s see what you’ve been working on!
• Time to relax with others in the Commons lounges, take a walk around the grounds or gather at our late afternoon Social Hour.

Unlike other fiber conferences, there are NO extra fees for these additional events.

The Chautauqua Institution, on the shores of the beautiful Chautauqua Lake, has been dedicated to life-long learning for over 150 years. We’ll be there in the off-season allowing us to stroll through the historic grounds and gather with friends while we learn and grow.

It’s all part of a terrific time, and it only happens once every two years!