Sock Monkey Madness

The sixth annual Sock Monkey Madness Festival is this weekend in Rockford, IL.

Photo from: http://photos.amazingsocks.com/500/6851-2-original-rockford-2-pr-pk-red-heel-monkey-socks-13335

This odd sounding event takes the people of Rockford back to the city’s roots by celebrating the once thriving knitting industry of Rockford.

The Nelson Knitting Company of Rockford produced and sold Rockford Red Heel work socks from 1932-1992. During the Great Depression, these socks were transformed into dolls, and the sock monkey was born. In fact, the company even began putting monkey patterns in with each pair of socks sold starting in the 1950s. This part of America’s pop culture has not died though. You can still find sock monkeys at department and specialty stores all over the world, or you can head to Rockford this weekend to enjoy all the wacky sock monkey festivities you can handle.

Photo from: http://estore.websitepros.com/stores/1742552/catalog/bare129c.jpg

The festival is held at the Midway Village Museum in Rockford, and it has a variety of events for people of all ages. There will be an international sock monkey film festival with short films all sock monkey themed. A sock monkey magic show, story time, how to make a sock monkey, and a sock monkey history lesson will also be featured at the festival, and one cannot forget the Miss/ Mr. Sockford pageant show with youth and adult categories.