In an area that loves its traditions, from Basque riders on Main Street during Labor Day to waiting for Bruce Springsteen to arrive at Grumpy's tavern on New Year's Day, it's difficult to find one with more history than the Trailing of the Sheep Festival, which takes place this weekend.
While the festival took the status of a celebrated event in 1997, the sight of sheep passing through Ketchum, herded south through the Wood River Valley in anticipation of the onset of winter, has been commonplace for more than 100 years.
Since sheep were first brought to Idaho in the mid-1800s, herds have been brought from the Snake River Plain up through the valley to spend the summer in high mountain pastures. And just before the snow flies, the sheep return to the milder climes of the flatlands for winter grazing and lambing.
About 1,500 sheep will parade down Ketchum's Main Street at noon on Sunday, the main event for a weekend that includes live music, storytelling, sheep dog trials, a folklife fair and, of course, plenty of tasty lamb barbecues.
While the stars of the weekend's events, a band of sheep belonging to Gooding rancher John Faulkner, will fill the street from corner to corner, they only hint at the role that the sheep industry has played in the valley.
At its peak in the 1920s, the sheep population, estimated to be over 2.5 million by the Idaho Agricultural Statistics Service, greatly outnumbered the number of people in the state. At that time, Ketchum was the second largest sheep center in the world, second only to Sydney, Australia.
Though sheep are no longer the valley's main economic engine, they remain part of a century-long tradition and a link to the valley's past.
"The festival is important because it promotes understanding, and it gives us a sense of place if we know about our history and heritage," said Mary Austin Crofts, the festival's executive director.
The parade and other events were inaugurated 13 years ago to preserve the culture of sheep ranching in Idaho, as well as honor the families and shepherds that contributed to the development of the state and the West in general.
Crofts said this year's festival will highlight both the benefits of wool and the culinary delights that sheep provide.
Regarding the former, Crofts said the "original smart fiber" is important because of three main properties: It's warm, natural and sustainable. As for the latter, she said the festival has more culinary events than in the past, and will prove a treat for participants.
"You can literally taste your way through the weekend," Crofts said.
Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com
