PORTLAND – Common threads will bring together weavers, spinners, quilters, clothiers, papermakers and other artisans for the Maine Fabric and Fiber Arts Festival this weekend.

The three-day event at the Cumberland County Civic Center includes a juried exhibition, workshops, a marketplace, a “wearable art showcase,” a display of work by students and senior citizens and a variety of children’s events.

Related exhibits will take place at downtown shops, galleries and the Portland Public Library as part of the event.

“We’ve gone out of our way to make it so it’s for everybody,” said Rena Masten, executive director of Portland’s Downtown District. “There’s all sorts of stuff going on. The Civic Center is one large space, but it’s jammed.”

After a two-year hiatus, the festival is “back by popular demand,” Masten said.

“The festival was started a couple of years ago by a number of people involved in the fiber-arts world,” she said. “It was created to highlight artists and provide services for that industry, which is quite large.”

The juried exhibition features work by budding and seasoned fiber artists alike, including quilter Elizabeth Busch of Glenburn, rug weaver Suzanne Grosjean of Franklin, fabric sculptor Mia Kanazawa of Harborside, mask maker Susan Barrett Merrill of Brooksville and quilter Stacie Mann of Lee.

At the marketplace, vendors from around the state will sell hand-spun yarn, handmade clothing, paper, glass buttons, hats, hand-painted silk scarves, quilting and sewing supplies, to name a few.

Among the highlights will be a “wearable art showcase” from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, during which models will walk around exhibiting handmade fashions. Sunday’s theme is “Connecting the Kids.” Children can learn quilting, design a peace flag, weave on looms, braid rugs, and learn wool felting techniques and spinning.

They can also participate in a workshop led by Anne Johnson of Orono called “The Plant that Sailed Round The World,” which will give children and their parents the opportunity to convert raw flax to fiber.

An exhibit of African tribal masks and textiles coordinated by the Museum of African Tribal Art in Portland and Jean Bioneke, a clothing designer from Congo, will be on view over the course of the weekend. A handmade, 7-foot-tall yurt, crafted from felted wool, also will be on display.

All of the exhibits have ties to Maine, where it’s clear the fiber arts are thriving. “There is nationwide recognition to Maine’s fabric and fiber industry,” Masten said.

The event takes place noon-6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. For information, call 772-6828 or visit www.mainefabricandfibe.com. Tickets cost $8 in advance, $10 at the door, and are available by calling 842-0800 or visit www.porttix.com. To register for the workshops, which have varying fees, call the University of Maine at (800) 800-4876, Ext. 5951.