It’s time for the famous Trailing of the Sheep Festival in Ketchum, Sun Valley, and Hailey. This annual festival celebrates the century-old Idaho tradition of moving sheep from mountain summer pastures through the Wood River Valley to traditional winter grazing and lambing areas.

Named a Top Ten Fall Festival by MSN Travel, this smile-worthy sheep shindig is in its 18th year. The festival includes lots of events like sheep storytelling and readings, music, a full day Folklife Fair with sheep shearing, wool spinning and sheep arts and crafts, and the National Point Qualifying Sheepdog Trials.  There is dancing, singing, and food honoring the tradition of welcoming fathers, brothers, sons, animals and family home from a long summer of grazing in the mountains.  This Festival honors the colorful history, heritage and cultures of Idaho and the west.

Here’s a bit of sheep teeth trivia to get you geared for the festival.

Did you know sheep’s teeth are actually quite useful in determining their age?

The full set of 8 front teeth comes in by the time a sheep is about 4 years old. The front teeth are then gradually lost as sheep age, making it harder for them to feed and hindering the health and productivity of the animal. For this reason, domestic sheep begin to slowly decline from 4 years on, and the average life expectancy of a sheep is 10 to 12 years, though some sheep may live as long as 20 years.

Now go on and share your sheep knowledge at this year’s festival!