Things to do: Sheep to Shawl, archaeology open house at Willamette Heritage Center

Whitney Woodworth, Salem Statesman Journal
·1 min read
Micah Thierman, 5, points to baby sheep during the 36th annual Sheep to Shawl event at Willamette Heritage Center in Salem in May 2022.
Micah Thierman, 5, points to baby sheep during the 36th annual Sheep to Shawl event at Willamette Heritage Center in Salem in May 2022.

Two free, family-friendly events are coming to the Willamette Heritage on Saturday.

The center's 38th annual Sheep to Shawl celebration — called "an exciting day of woolly wonder" by organizers — will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will feature live animals, shearing demonstrations, kids activities, live performances, lawn games and retail and food vendors.

The event is free. Donations are welcome.

The city of Salem also is hosting a Public Archaeology Open House at the same location and time in coordination with the Willamette Heritage Center.

A freshly shorn sheeps stand in a pen during Sheep to Shawl in 2022.
A freshly shorn sheeps stand in a pen during Sheep to Shawl in 2022.

Salem's public archaeology project expands this year to the Willamette University campus, the location of the Indian Manual Labor Training School Building. The building later became the Oregon Institute, the first building associated with Willamette University.

This project has been a priority within Salem’s Historic Preservation program since 2020. The city's Historic Preservation Plan has identified six primary goals including identifying, surveying, designating and protecting Salem’s historic and archaeological resources; and improving public outreach and community education about the city's diverse local history.

At the event, attendees can see displays of found artifacts from the dig and archaeology equipment along with interpretive exhibits. There will also be open dig plots to examine.

The Willamette Heritage Center is located at 1313 Mill St. SE.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter at @wmwoodworth.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Sheep to Shawl coming to Willamette Heritage Center in Salem