STORY AND PHOTO OF KAREN BOSSICK

The Papoose Club is back to flip pancakes, after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, as are the Eh-Capa Bareback Riders, who will show off their riding skills.

And long-time restaurateurs Keith and Paula Perry, who were always too busy serving Eggs Benedict and Reuben sandwiches to customers to watch parades past, will participate in the parade as grand marshals this year.

The 65^e The annual Wagon Days weekend will take place on Friday and Saturday, September 2 and 3. And it will be completed by Rebecca’s Private Idaho.

The Big Hitch Parade, which is the centerpiece of Wagon Days, is one of the largest non-motorized parades in the Pacific Northwest. Its centerpiece is the Big Hitch – the towering Lewis ore wagons pulled by a jerkline of 20 mules.

These wagons with their monstrous six-foot wheels are the real deal – they carried supplies to miners north of Ketchum and carried up to 18,000 pounds of silver and ore to Ketchum, covering 12 to 14 miles a day.

Up to 24 mules pulled them along, stretching the length of a football field as they rounded hairpin bends on the steep roads of Trail Creek and Galena Pass.

Disney wanted the wagons; just like Knott’s Berry Farm. But the town of Ketchum has wisely kept them, releasing them once a year to showcase the town’s heritage.

Here’s a Wagon Days weekend to keep you going:

FRIDAY September 2

9 a.m. Hailey’s Labor Day Antique Fair at Roberta McKercher Park in Hailey.

11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Souvenirs and memorial keepsakes on sale at the Ore Wagon Museum at East Avenue and 5^e Street.

1-4 p.m. Cowboy Poetry at the Oregon Wagon Museum

5-7 p.m. Walk through the Ketchum Gallery

5:30 p.m. Grand Marshal’s Reception honoring Keith and Paula Perry in Ketchum Town Square

7 p.m. Upbeat country music live from Tylor & the Train Robbers on East Avenue

8:50 p.m. Sun Valley on Ice features two-time U.S. gold medalist and world bronze medalist and Olympian Alysa Liu and U.S. gold medalist and Olympic bronze medalist Jason Brown. Visit https://www.sunvalley.com for tickets.

SATURDAY 3 Sept.

8:00am-12:00pm Papoose Club Pancake Breakfast in Ketchum Town Square, with proceeds going to causes for children in the Valley.

9:00 a.m. Free yoga in the plaza outside the River Run Lodge, open to all skill levels. Bring your own mat.

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Children’s activities on East Avenue and 4^e Street includes a petting zoo and Wagons Ho! – an interactive chance to see what life was like in a covered wagon.

10:30-11:30 Eh-Capa Bareback Riders of Boise and Escaramuza Charra will demonstrate their riding skills at the Meadows Festival

From 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the Silver Collector Car Auction will feature vintage convertibles, European sports cars, exotic and muscle cars, plus a few surprises on the lawn of the Sun Valley Village Pavilion.

11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. The Ore Wagon Museum remains open.

1:00 p.m. The Big Hitch Parade begins near the Sun Valley Horseman Center and continues down Sun Valley Road to Main Street where the mules must perform an intricate dance to go around.

2:30 p.m. — American Idol winner Chayce Beckham, who tours with Jimmie Allen and Luke Combs, will perform at the Wagon Days Street Party.

4-7 p.m. Sip n’ Shop at Pete Lane’s, Brass Ranch, Panache and Signature Gift Shop in Sun Valley Village while enjoying free drinks and listening to live music.

The 7 p.m. big-screen movie on the pavilion lawn will feature “The Goonies.” The screening is free but you will need to bring your own chairs, blankets and popcorn. The film starring Sean Astin, Josh Brolin and Corey Feldman follows a group of young misfits who embark on an adventure to find the long-lost treasure of a legendary pirate.

SUNDAY September 4

8:00 a.m. Riders begin riding toward the centerpiece of Rebecca Private Idaho, leaving Festival Meadows and heading to Trail Creek Summit for rides of up to one hundred miles. The awards ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. at Festival Meadows.

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Labor Day Weekend Pickleball Tournament, open to all ages and skill levels, at the Sun Valley courts. Registration is $20 per person and is required by 5 p.m. Friday at 208-622-2156.

10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Rebecca’s Private Idaho Festival Day/Exhibit at Festival Meadows is open to the public and will include live music, vendors, games, and a Dirty Face photo booth with Kav Sports.

11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. The Ore Wagon Museum remains open.

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The silver car auction continues in Sun Valley.

8:00-12:00 Papoose Club Pancake Breakfast at Ketchum Town Square

5:30 p.m. Marshall Tucker Band with guest Jeremy McComb at the Sun Valley Pavilion.