October 8 - October 12
28th Annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival
The 29th annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival will be held October, 8-12, 2025!
Sheep have been trailing through the Wood River Valley of Idaho for well over a century and are an integral part of Idaho’s heritage. Each fall the iconic Trailing of the Sheep Festival honors the 150+ year annual tradition of moving sheep (‘trailing’) from high mountain summer pastures down through the Valley to traditional winter grazing and lambing areas in the south. This annual migration is living history and the focus of a unique and authentic Festival that celebrates the sheep, herders, history, food, arts, cultures, and traditions of Idaho’s sheep ranching families, highlighting the principal contributors – the Basques, Scottish and Peruvians.
Festival Highlights include:
- Big Sheep Parade with 1,500 sheep trailing down Main Street in Ketchum, Idaho.
- National Qualifying Sheepdog Trials featuring 80 of the county’s most talented border collies and their handlers competing for top awards.
- Sheep Folklife Fair featuring Basque, Scottish, Polish, and Peruvian dancers and musicians, sheep shearing demonstrations, 80+ sheep and wool product vendors, children’s activities and more.
- Sheep Tales Gathering will feature “The Future of Conservation In A Crowded West,” a conversation and panel focusing on the importance of both private and public lands, the critical role of agriculture in conservation and obstacles faced by those stewarding these landscapes.
- Culinary Events:
- Cooking with Lamb Classes
- Farm to Table Lamb Dinners
- For the Love of Lamb Dine-Around
- A Lamb Fest will take place on Saturday, during the Sheep Folklife Fair. Enjoy delicious and creative American Lamb dishes prepared by six Idaho chefs and restaurants. Beverages are also available for purchase. Choose your favorite restaurant when you arrive at the Fair and purchase tickets on-site.
- The Happy Trails Festival Closing Party will be held on Sunday, at the Ketchum Town Square. It is the perfect spot to gather from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm to enjoy delicious lamb prepared and served by Al’s Sustainability Center with live music by Gary and Cindy Braun and the Kim Stocking Band.
- Wool Fest featuring a variety of classes and workshops.
- Sheep Reads Festival Book Club showcasing author Ivan Doig’s book “This House of Sky – Landscapes of a Western Mind” and hosted by writer Diane Josephy Peavey.
- Happy Trails Closing Party in the Ketchum Town Square (before and after the Big Sheep Parade) featuring vendors, food, and live music by Cindy & Gary Braun in the morning and the Kim Stocking Band in the afternoon.
For the detailed schedule, tickets, and lodging deals and more visit www.trailingofthesheep.org.
The 2024 Big Sheep Parade is sponsored by the City of Ketchum and the Wood River Women’s Foundation, with many other supporters, volunteers and friends bringing the entire Festival to fruition.
See 2024 venue map and download HERE.
About the Trailing of the Sheep Festival
The Trailing of the Sheep Festival has also garnered some well-deserved accolades over the years, including being recognized as one of the Top Ten Fall Festivals in the World by msn.com travel, Top Ten US Fall Festivals by smartertravel.com, Top Animal Festivals in the World and Top Ten Fall Festivals by USA Today, Top 7 Fun Fall Festivals by AARP, One of the Greatest Cultural Events in the West by Northwest Travel, and recipient of the Society of American Travel Writer’s Phoenix Award for best in cultural tourism, and the Idaho Governor’s Award for Cultural Heritage.
Media Contacts:
Laura Musbach Drake, Director, Trailing of the Sheep Festival, 208.720.0585, laura@trailingofthesheep.org
Carol Waller, Festival PR, CW Communications, 208.720.3965, carol@cw-communications.com
IMAGES TO DOWNLOAD FOR MEDIA USE HERE: https://trailingofthesheep.org/news-media/media/
