These 6 Idaho Towns Have The Most Unique Festivals
As Idaho's largest city and state capital, Boise has established itself as a vibrant home base for the state's top festivals. However, if we take a closer look at Idaho's smaller towns, we can discover a treasure trove of even more unique events. Rich in history, heritage, and tradition, these festivals shine even brighter for their authenticity and small-town hospitality. From a celebration honoring the mighty Idaho potato to a historic sheep parade, these close-knit communities offer some truly quirky and extraordinary experiences you will not find anywhere else.
Ketchum: Trailing Of The Sheep Festival
For almost thirty years, the Trailing of the Sheep Festival in Ketchum has celebrated the Wood River Valley’s sheep migration, a tradition that stretches back over 150 years. The custom involves herding the region's sheep each fall from the Sawtooth Mountains down to the lower grazing grounds through the valley. In 2024, 1,500 sheep were moved through Ketchum’s Main Street for the Big Sheep Parade, commemorating this sheepherding heritage.
October 8th to 12th, 2025, will mark the 29th Annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival, carrying on its goal of preserving the history of Idaho herders and ranchers. While the sheep parade is the main feature of the festival, the 5-day event features countless other celebrations, including culinary events, Championship Sheepdog Trials, a Wool Festival, and the Sheep Folklife Fair. On the final day, in Ketchum’s Town Square, the Happy Trails Closing Party will end the festivities with great food, vendors, and live music.
Driggs: Teton Valley Balloon Rally
While less than 3,000 people called Driggs home as of 2023, this tiny town throws a larger-than-life festival known as the Teton Valley Balloon Rally, a hot air balloon extravaganza. Held annually at the Teton County Fairgrounds, July 3rd to 6th will mark the festival’s 44th run, inviting visitors to enjoy live music, a beer garden, food trucks, face painting, and 4 mornings of balloon flights with 25 hot air balloons.
Although the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic is Idaho's more well-known hot air balloon event, the Teton Valley Balloon Rally sets itself apart. While the Boise festival is a spectator-only event, the Teton Valley Balloon Rally features for-hire rides, with ride requests opening in mid-May. For the ultimate morning launch view, the Diggs festival also offers camping at the Teton Valley Balloon Field, with registration opening March 15.
Shelley: Idaho Spud Day
Since 1927, Shelley has celebrated the state’s ties to their beloved potato with Idaho Spud Day, a quirky event with something for everyone. Held every year on the third Saturday of September, Idaho Spud Day commemorates the iconic crop with potato-themed fun like French fry eating contests, potato sack races, and heaps of potato-themed foods. With 13 billion pounds of potatoes harvested by Idaho farmers in 2023 (32% of the country’s potato production), it is easy to see why these Idahoans are so proud to celebrate the harvest. But even if potatoes are not your thing, the event offers plenty of fun beyond the spud, including a parade, car show, and pageants.
McCall: McCall Winter Carnival
Although the McCall Winter Carnival passed this previous February, the 2026 event is worth marking your calendars for. The town’s celebration of winter began in the 1960s, taking inspiration from the historic Payette Lake Winter Games. Since then, the festival has grown to attract over 60,000 visitors every year, making it one of Idaho’s most renowned winter events. Like other festivals, the McCall Winter Carnival offers classic fun like food vendors, a parade, and live music. However, the seasonal twist is what makes this festival shine, with features like their dog sledding events, jaw-dropping snow sculptures, and a showstopping winter fireworks show.
Weiser: The National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest & Festival
In the welcoming town of Weiser, the National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest & Festival has been a staple of the rural community for 72 years this June. It began as a way to maintain the community’s fiddling heritage, and has since become a fun celebration and preservation of the traditional art form. Taking place June 16 to 21, 2025, the fiddling contests can be streamed online or watched in person at Weiser High School. Beyond the competitive performances, Weiser’s City Park will also host a variety of fun attractions throughout the week, including a free entertainment stage, festival foods, and a variety of vendors. On Saturday, a parade will close off the festivities, its theme yet to be announced.
Saint Maries: Paul Bunyan Days
Since 1968, Saint Maries has kicked off Labor Day Weekend with Paul Bunyan Days, a family-friendly festival celebrating its logging heritage. In its earliest days, Saint Maries attracted lumberjacks to the area due to its ideal setting. Perched at the point where the Saint Maries and Saint Joseph rivers merge, settlers realized it was the perfect place to transport timber and build a sawmill.
Long since then, the festival has used folk hero and lumberjack Paul Bunyan as its mascot, celebrating the town’s logging past with a parade, carnival, and fireworks. However, the logging events are the star attraction, drawing in the largest crowds. Highlights include: Axe Throwing, a Crosscut Competition, and Pole Climbing, to name a few. In 2025, this jam-packed event will take place from August 29 to September 1.
Discover These Unique Idaho Festivals
From potato sack races to snow sculpture contests, Idaho’s small-town traditions offer a fun and whimsical escape from the routine of everyday life. While these six towns and their unique festivals may not attract the same mainstream tourist crowds as Idaho's larger cities, they embody a spirit of good old-fashioned fun that locals cherish. Whether enjoying the historic Big Sheep Parade in Ketchum or soaring high at the Teton Valley Balloon Rally in Driggs, you will find the warmth of the community welcoming you with open arms, inviting you to experience their world for the day.
