Trailing of the Sheep Festival
By Sara Sheehy
12 October 2008
I am a "newbie" here in Ketchum - I have lived here a little less than two months. Ketchum is a ski resort/tourist town, filled with over-priced real estate, stunning scenery, and botox filled tourists from LA.
Mixed in with this funky atmosphere are those folks who are living with the land in the same way their ancestors have done for generations. Sheep herding is prevelant, with many cultures actively herding in this valley. Many of these cultures were represented this weekend at the annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival - including Basques (from Spain), Scottish Highlanders, Polish herders, and Peruvians.
The three events I attended - the Border Collie Herding Trials, cultural performances, and Trailing of the Sheep Parade - were beautiful and diverse. The apex of the Festival is the parade. It begins with these many cultures representing themselves in music and dance, and cumulates with hundreds of sheep flocking down Main Street in Ketchum.
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