Yes, it’s that time of year again: The 21^st annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival is ready to celebrate all things sheep-related Oct. 4–8 in Idaho’s scenic valley landscape. Headquarters are in Ketchum, and events and presentations are rounded out with professional sheepdog trials, a Folklife Fair and the Trailing of the Sheep Parade — an authentic trailing down Main Street in Ketchum as herds of wooly sheep migrate to their winter pastures. The parade includes a number of historic wooden sheep wagons and plenty of song and dance from performers with the Folklife Fair and Footlite Dance Centre. The fun includes farm-to-table dinners, a Tibetan Spindle Class, chef-led lamb cooking sessions, tapestry beaded weaving classes, sessions in traditional Japanese Shibori dying techniques, felting sessions, Turkish drop spindle workshops, photography, picnics and other crafts courses.

At the Folklife Fair, visitors can enjoy demonstrations including sheep shearing; textile arts; spinning and weaving from master artisans; and a juried arts and crafts show of handmade wool, alpaca and wool-blend items. There’s also a quilting show, an assortment of children’s activities and live music. This year’s performers include The Boise Highlanders with bagpipe music, drummers and dancers; Peruvian dancers and musicians performing Andean music; the Oinkari Basque Dancers; and the Siumni Polish Highlanders of North America performing traditional music and dance from the Tatra Mountains of southern Poland. Venues include the Wood River Sustainability Center, Sawtooth Botanical Garden and Warfield Distillery & Brewery.