This article about Idaho‘s Trailing of the Sheep Festival was originally published in the Fall 2018 issue of Spin Off. We have updated it with this year’s schedule and event details. — Christina
Now in its 28th year, Idaho’s Trailing of the Sheep Festival brings tens of thousands of visitors to Sun Valley, Ketchum, and Hailey to celebrate the exodus of local sheep to their winter pasture land.
The festival originally began with the need to teach newcomers about the area’s history. In the early 1990s, a bicycle path was built along a traditional sheep herding route, but area sheep retained the right-of-way through the Wood River Valley. Some of the newer urban residents found this arrangement disagreeable, and local ranchers saw an opportunity to educate them about the rich history surrounding sheep ranching and herding in this region of the Mountain West. The two groups initially met over coffee, and through their joint effort to resolve their differences, a festival was born.
Come for the sheep, stay for the mountains and gorgeous scenery. Ranchland on the way to Sun Valley. Photo by Gord Schindell
Today, the festival’s story continues. Some 25,000 people from around the country (and world) gather each fall to celebrate the region’s sheep herding heritage.
The event includes something for everyone. Fiber lovers can select from classes on topics including weaving, felting, knitting, spinning, crocheting, and botanical dyeing. Other popular happenings include storytelling at the Sheep Tales Gathering; the Folklife Fair, featuring Basque, Scottish, Polish, and Peruvian dancers and musicians, sheep shearing demonstrations, and children’s activities; sheepdog trials; cooking classes and farm-to-table dinners; and the Big Sheep Parade, during which local herds wind their way through downtown Ketchum.
As Idaho’s urban population continues to grow, the festival remains an important and engaging way we can all share in rural history.
—Elizabeth Prose
Visit www.trailingofthesheep.org for more information about this year’s Trailing of the Sheep Festival, which takes place October 2–6, 2024.
Originally published Sept. 24, 2018; updated Sept. 11, 2024