Hi Cara. I was already to go to Rhinebeck on Saturday but now with the weather (yuck!!!) and the early arrival of my first (and most perfect and beautiful!!!) granddaughter last Saturday I'm planning to stick around home and hang with my new peep!! If you do go, enjoy!

This will be my first trip up to Rhinebeck and nothing can stop me from going! I'm dragging my boyfriend and my 5-year-old son with me, too. My son is very excited about the hotel stay and the sheep and even the yarn for Mommy. I think you should go if you want to, because the weather predictions are no guarantee and it only comes once a year! And you need more STR, right? ;)

i just checked weather.com for rhinebeck this weekend. rain and snow. SNOW!

i avoid snow. that's why i live in california.
so i would not go. of course, if i did not go because of inclement weather, having planned to go, it would be a glorious weekend and i would be home, pouting. if i did go, it would be miserable. and maybe i would be pouting.

the answer is to do what you really want to do. in your heart you know the answer.

How about maybe going with them early, letting Miss M see the sheep and then they could go back and let you wander around a bit longer?

That is a tough question, because I think either course is good. Stay home and cuddle with family, work on new house? good. Go to festival, see sheep with baby, see friends? also good. I wonder if you will regret not going, because you don't know if you missed anything or not, or if you can have some comparable fun and lovely experience at home. I guess that's what I'd suggest - go, if you want to, and if you don't, do something special and nice at home.

Leave G and Meli at home and go for the day on your own. Babies have a hard enough time yarn shopping, wet and cold yarn shopping is no fun. From what I hear pushing a stroller at Rhinebeck is tough, in rain and mud it must be worse. But it's RHINEBECK. Our Jerusalem, our Mecca, our Holy Pilgrimage. (this is my first year and I think EVERYONE should be going!) I think you should go but maybe G and Meli could go next year. Think of how good all that yarn will smell, how pretty all the colors will be, brightening up a rather dreary day. Think of those poor farmers who make their year's profit at Rhinebeck. They need your money Cara - so they can come back next year. Don't go for you, or for Meli, go for the sheep! So the poor sheep can have money for food and shearing and warm little beds of hay. (you like the dramatic angle?)
Actually, if less people go then I will have shorter lines to wait in. So maybe you should stay home...

I'm a homebody, so I vote for staying home with your family. What better reason than cold AND wet is there for staying HOME? None, says I.

I, friend of G's from the Global Entity that keeps a roof over our heads, will be taking our 21-month old and my husband on Saturday. If it's awful, they can always go home. Hope to see you guys there!

I was having this same dilemma (but driving over from Boston), along with my knitting travel friend having bailed out.. My solution (I hope) is a bus trip! As of a few days ago, seats were still available, so I just made a reservation. Assuming I get on the bus, I get to go without dragging the fiance along, I can cancel the hotel room, and I don't even have to drive!

Go. Its the highest of holy days for us knitters. Children are waterproof!

Tough call.
Last year I was there with my 10 year old daughter. We drove up from NJ, had breakfast at Pete's, then off the the fairgrounds where we froze our sweet patooties off... I ended up with a killer migraine, we were SO freakin' cold and uncomfortable! We were so upset, as the previous year we had THE.BEST.TIME.EVER!!!! We left early and couldn't wait to get home to warm up.
This year we have a baby shower for a dear family friend, and with the forecast, I am so happy that I don't have to make a choice...
I didn't help, did I??

The good thing is, is that if you go and bring G and Meli, you can always leave should it be unbearable... AND if everyone stays away, you will have the BEST shopping experience ever!!

Do it!!!!

From Accuweather (for Saturday): High: 48 °F RealFeel®: 39 °F
Mostly cloudy and chilly with a little rain You can do that!

Oh, I hope you come! But I understand if you don't.

But a little weather? Maybe it'll keep the crowds down?

Hope to see you guys there!

love, Kay

I'm with Kay, hoping that the forecast will help keep down the crowds (which I am dreading). In your shoes, I would go solo, leaving G and Meli either at home or at the hotel. You can take her to a petting/children's zoo near you at a later date for her Sheep Encounter.

I am having the same problem trying to figure out whether to go or not but I think that staying home in CT will win out. First of all its not fair to drag my 2 kids there because all the rides wont be in operation with the wet weather and they will be bored beyond belief wool shopping. The drive is almost 2 hours from where we live and in the rain and snow well I dont have to explain do I? LOL. I LOVE Rhinebeck and my kids look forward to it every year so it is going to be a disappointment but we will do something else together thats fun like go to the movies or bake some cookies! Sounds like a plan to me! Whatever you decide I hope you have a great day with your family!

We have a fiber festival here in Southern Indiana this weekend (we call it "Lil' Rhinebeck) and it's going to be cold and wet as well! I am still dragging my toddler out in it because a) she went last year so now it's traditional and b) now is as good a time as any to learn that we will suffer great discomfort to be among sheep!

Hi, I live in England and if we didn't go out on the cold and wet we would never go anywhere! I suggest you don't deny your family the experience - after all cold and wet are what steaming cups of hot chocolate are made for. Go prepared for the worst weather and it will probably turn out to be OK anyway.

Have fun and I wish I could go - I can smell the yarn fumes from over the pond already (sigh)...

Think of all the pretty sheep pictures! It's only once a year!

It is a once a year opportunity to see friends and loved ones who enjoy the same things you do. Go for it. Beautiful yarns and great new ideas. Plus you KNOW you will have fun. I would love to go to Rhinebeck just once. Maybe next year. :)

Go stay at the hotel. If it turns out to be cold, wet and icky and can spend quality family time playing in the pool.

Or, just follow your instinct. That is always good too.

Come! It'll be fun! I've never been, so I'm super excited even if it IS cold and wet. I can't wait to meet some of my favorite bloggers, like you!

I've been back and forth about it too but in the end cold and wet just aren't worth it for me. I was only going for the people but it's going to be so miserable I don't know how much socializing will be going on.

I think possibly cold + snow + baby + long day of yarny goodness = bad. If you go, I think you should leave G and Meli at the hotel and meet up with friends to wander around with. Without the wee, I think Rhinebeck and snow might be fun! Just make sure to bundle up in woolies! :) But taking Meli around might only make all three of you miserable and wreck whatever fun there is to be had. Or, have her come for an hour so she can see the sheep and maybe eat funnel cake, and then send her back with G :)

I wish I could come :-\ Go to Maryland in the spring! Hopefully, it will be warm and sunny and then she can see lots of sheep and play in the grass and whatnot!!!