KETCHUM, Idaho — The Trailing of the Sheep Festival is marking its 30th year in Idaho's Wood River Valley with special workshops, a national sheep dog tournament and a sheep parade on Main Street in Ketchum.
WATCH: Trailing of the Sheep Festival marks 30 years
For 30 years, the annual festival has captured the eyes and hearts of millions, becoming one of the premier local festivals in the West.
Executive Director Laura Musbach-Drake says once you see it, you'll understand why.
"For 1,200 people to be standing fairly silently on Main Street in Ketchum as over 900 sheep trots by — it's a pretty majestic thing," Musbach-Drake said.
Leading up to Sunday's parade, the festival is offering special workshops all week long, honoring everything from wool to meat.
One workshop spotlights the art of needle felting. Fiber-arts instructor Tammy Jordan explained the process.
"These a needle felted objects – 3D objects — and what it takes is dyed fiber — so we dye it and we use a needle that has barbs in it that go the opposite direction of the scales of the wool and it makes it very hard and firm, so you can lots of different things with them," Jordan said.
For Boise resident Leigh Evans, this is her second time at the festival. She says the opportunity to learn a new craft is what brought her back.
"I'd taken a number of classes last time and needle felting is particularly impressive to me — I had such a good time that I had to come back," Evans said.
The workshops also highlight cooking with lamb. Local chef Chris Kastner hosted a cooking class at his restaurant, CK's, in Hailey.
He says even in the Wood River Valley, the use of lamb in home kitchens is at an all-time low.
"In this valley, where the sheep run through the valley every year — you'd think every place would have tons of local lamb – but it's really hard to source anymore, there is fewer and fewer people doing it," Kastner said.
Workshops continue all week, along with a national sheep dog tournament starting Friday. All of the activity culminates Sunday with the big sheep parade.
"It all culminates with the big sheep parade at 12-noon on main street in Ketchum — there will be about 950 sheep in their band coming down main street," Musbach-Drake said.
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