52 Week Photography Project

August 2024 Edition

Traffic is ba-a-a-a-a-cked up as thousands of sheep mosey down Main Street, Ketchum, ID, during the annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival. (Photo: ©Craig K. Collins)

32-Main Street- Interpret that as you will.

There was some ba-a-a-a-a-a-d congestion on Ketchum, Idaho’s Main Street last October.

Ketchum’s annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival is sort of like Pamplona’s Running of the Bulls, only no one gets gored. (I know — boooorrr-ing.)

However, the one thing the two events do have in common is that they’re both a celebration of Basque culture. Basque sheepherders emigrated to the American West in droves during the 19th century and brought their shepherding skills with them from the Pyrenees, becoming major producers of U.S. wool and mutton.

The weeklong Trailing of the Sheep Festival commemorates Central Idaho’s Basque heritage. October was the month when Basque shepherds drove their sheep down from summer grazing in the mountain meadows to spend the winter in the more hospitable valleys.

After months of summer solitude, the shepherds were greeted with great fanfare by their Basque compatriots and much food, wine, song and dance ensued.

America’s back! as the Hulkster and Baby Yoda attest at Comic-Con 2024. Like so many others, he’s come to the San Diego confab to let his freak flag fly. (Photo: ©Craig K. Collins)