Join an authentic trailing of the sheep down Ketchum's Main Street as part of their annual migration to winter pastures. A band of 1,200 sheep parade down Main Street with sheep ranching family members and herders headed south. The parade includes historic sheep wagons and participants from the Folklife Fair, each identified by sign-bearing local dancers. Blessing the flock this year is The Very Reverend M. Jonah Kendall, Rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Ketchum.

After the parade passes, you are invited to walk with the families herding the animals to their resting place south of town.

Sheep for the Parade from the Schwandt Family’s Jaz Ranch
The Jaz Ranch has traditionally operated with approximately 300 black-face ewes for 20 years in Lamoille, Nevada. In 2019, the family took a significant step by acquiring their first two bands of white-face range sheep, which led them to start running sheep in Carey, Idaho. After relocating to Gooding, Idaho, they expanded their operations to include both the Jaz Ranch and the Idaho Sheep Company. Currently, they manage six bands of sheep, lambing in Bliss, Idaho, and trailing to Ketchum, Idaho. This year marks their inaugural participation in the Big Sheep Parade.

In Memoriam
We remember those from the Festival Family and Industry we sadly lost since the last Festival closed, express our condolences to their family and friends and honor them with a riderless horse in the Festival's Big Sheep Parade on Sunday. In the 2026 Parade, we remember Colby Castle.