The Trailing of the Sheep Festival is a 3-day event that happens every October. For the locals of Hailey and Ketchum in Idaho, this event is their way of giving honor to their city?s four-legged fluffy friends ? sheep! Sheep herding was the main livelihood in the southwest region of Idaho since the first sheep was brought in by John Hailey in the 1860?s.

During this award-winning festival (Idaho Governor's Award for Outstanding Cultural Heritage Tourism), a series of fun and interesting events connected to the history of sheep herding is held. Such activities include poetry reading, storytelling, live music, sheep folk life fair, lamb cooking shows, spinning and weaving workshops and some guided tours to see tree carvings made by sheep herders. The event ends with a procession and an opportunity to follow some herders and their sheep to walk through Ketchum.