Alpacas return to the Summit County Fairgrounds at the Annual Buckeye Alpaca Show
Every year, hundreds of alpacas, alpaca enthusiasts and fiber artists gather for the Buckeye Alpaca Show. This year’s show will take place March 23 and 24 in the Arena Complex at the Summit County Fairgrounds in Tallmadge. The show is free and open to the public.
Hours are Saturday, March 23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, March 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Alpacas are raised for their luxurious fleece throughout the United States, but with more than 26,000 registered animals, Ohio is the country’s leading state in alpaca numbers.
Alpacas will be featured in the show ring competition, consisting of classes judging conformation and fleece quality in many categories for both Suri and Huacaya alpacas.
Throughout the weekend, artisans will showcase alpaca fiber and examples of felting, fiber arts and more. Vendors and farm displays will sell the latest alpaca fashions and hand-crafted items.
This year’s show will once again offer small breeder classes as well as adult and youth performance classes.
On Saturday, March 23 from 3 to 5 p.m., youth will take to the ring to compete with their alpacas in showmanship and obstacle classes. The alpaca costume contest also is Saturday from noon to 12:30 p.m. Costumes will be judged on the comfort of the animal with foreign objects on their head, legs, and feet, and how imaginative the costume is as well as the story each participant must write about the costume.
About the Buckeye Alpaca Show Inc.
The Buckeye Alpaca Show, Inc. is celebrating its 20th year as one of the premier alpaca shows in the country. The show is a non-profit 501c3 public charity.
In 2018, the Buckeye Large Animal Veterinary Scholarship Fund at OSU was established whichawards scholarships in $5,000 increments to third and fourth year large animal veterinary students.
The Buckeye Alpaca Show has donated $85,000 that was raised at the Live Auctions at the2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Buckeye Alpaca Fall Fest. In December 2023, four more $5,000 scholarships were awarded. This is the first scholarship fund established strictly for large animal veterinary students.
For details, visit http://buckeyealpacashow.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Alpacas and alpaca fiber artists featured at Buckeye Alpaca Show
