Sheep celebration: Kemmerer slated to host inaugural Wyoming Sheep and Wool Festival

The Wyoming Wool Growers Association (WWGA) recently announced the first annual Wyoming Sheep and Wool Festival will be held June 30-July 2 in Kemmerer. 

WWGA encourages Wyoming residents and sheep producers to make plans to bring their families to the festival to enjoy art, education and cultural events in an effort to celebrate Wyoming’s sheep and wool industry. 

Attendees will also have the opportunity to see animals, feast on lamb, browse through vendor booths and dance to live music at an after-dinner party on the night of July 1.

Schedule of events

Events will begin on the afternoon of June 30 with an educational session about range management. Attendees will then gather for an art show and reception, in addition to a panel discussion about the area’s sheep and wool heritage, provided from multi-generational perspectives. 

During the festival, domestic sheep flocks will be moving along their migration trails, leaving desert-sagebrush rangelands and moving to the high country of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. 

Festival attendees will have the opportunity to go on a self-guided tour to see flocks on the move or sign up for a commercial tour, which includes joining in on moving sheep wagons and providing other support for local shepherds. 

This is a great chance for the public to see the animals and people who live alongside them in action.

Events on July 1 include an all-day vendor fair and programming for all ages, followed by the “Sheepherders Come Bye” lamb feast. During dinner, several individuals will be honored with awards, and a dance will follow.

The morning of July 2 will bring other educational activities, and members of WWGA will gather for a business meeting.

Input, donations and involvement 

The festival committee is happy to consider ideas for demos, workshops or other activities which might enhance the festival, so they encourage any public input. Organizations or businesses wanting to get involved in the festival are also encouraged to contact WWGA. 

“We’ve got some great ideas, and we’d love to have partnerships to make them happen,” says WWGA Executive Director Alison Crane.  

Although there will be a few ticketed events, WWGA notes donations and sponsorships for the festival will help make many of the weekend’s events free to the public.

Craft and food vendors are encouraged to set up shop at the festival’s vendor fair on July 1, and booth spaces can be reserved for as little as $25. Educational vendors are also welcome, and WWGA encourages activities for the public to participate in and enjoy at these booths.

The City of Kemmerer has signed on as a festival sponsor and has allocated use of the South Lincoln Training and Events Center for most activities, along with Triangle Park in the heart of downtown for the vendor fair.

Cat Urbigkit is the vice president of WWGA. She can be reached by visiting WWGA’s website, wyowool.com.