65^th Annual Wagon Days – September 2 – 4^th, 2022

Since 1958, the City of Ketchum has celebrated its mining history with one of the largest non- motorized parade in the west.  Spend a day with the whole family. The Big Hitch Parade begins on Saturday 1pm.

The Big Hitch Parade, features- quality buggies, carriages, carts and stagecoaches, and begins at 1 p.m. and proceeds down Sun Valley Road before turning north on Main Street. The grand finale, as always, will be the “Big Hitch,” historic Lewis Ore Wagons pulled by a 20-mule team from Bishop, CA on a jerkline.  

Friday, September 2
5:30 p.m. Grand Marshal Ceremony in Town Square
This ceremony celebrates, the 2022 Grand Marshals, individuals selected to be honored for their enduring contributions to the community of Ketchum.  There will be food and drink provided by the City of Ketchum.

Saturday, September 3
8 a.m. – Noon Papoose Club Pancake Breakfast at Ketchum Town Square

Papoose Pancake Breakfast at Wagon Days has been a community tradition since 1977. Serving an all you can eat country breakfast of pancakes, sausages, and eggs, all flipped, fried and served by club members and local characters. On Saturday, the breakfast is followed by the Big Hitch Parade, one of the largest non-motorized parades in the Pacific Northwest featuring museum quality wagons, buggies, and stagecoaches.  Cost: Adults $15, Seniors/Youth $10, 3 & under free

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.   Children’s Activities on East Ave.
Food and Beverages for Purchase by Local Vendors

11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Live Music in Ketchum Town Square

11 am Eh Capa’s Bareback Riders Demonstration at Festival Meadows
Watch the Eh Capa’s Bareback Riders as they take the audience on a breathtaking journey through maneuvers and jumps that even few experienced riders can handle all without the aid of saddles or bridles.

The EhCapa riders, ages 8 through 19, develop a unique relationship with their horses based on sound horsemanship principles. They control their mounts with leg cues, their voices, and a one-inch-wide leather strap around the horse’s neck known as a “tack rein”.  As the club’s style of riding is reminiscent of Native Americans, the name Apache was selected to be spelled in reverse, thus the name EhCapa. The organization rides in the hope of bringing honor to Native Americans, from their beautiful handmade clothing to the traditional native symbols painted on the horses.

1 p.m.  –  Big Hitch Parade
After the Parade – Live Music at Town Square

Sunday, September 4
8 a.m. – Noon Papoose Club Pancake Breakfast at Ketchum Town Square

Papoose Pancake Breakfast at Wagon Days has been a community tradition since 1977. Serving an all you can eat country breakfast of pancakes, sausages, and eggs, all flipped, fried and served by club members and local characters. On Saturday, the breakfast is followed by the Big Hitch Parade, one of the largest non-motorized parades in the Pacific Northwest featuring museum quality wagons, buggies, and stagecoaches.  Cost: Adults $15, Seniors/Youth $10, 3 & under free

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.   Children’s Activities on East Ave.
Food and Beverages for Purchase by Local Vendors

Ore Wagon Museum and Bonning Cabin

Open August 22 – September 4^th,  Open Monday – Friday 10 am – 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 am – 5 p.m.

Take a tour of the City of Ketchum’s Iconic Ore Wagons and explore a historical collection from Ketchum’s mining era, the town’s founding, and the historic Wagon Days Big Hitch Parade.

Horace Lewis began the “Ketchum Fast Freight Line” soon after the town was founded on August 2, 1880. The first load of ore was carried from the Elkhorn mine to the railroad at Kelton, Utah. These monstrous wagons with six-foot wheels known as “The Big Hitch made the round trip in about two weeks, returning to Ketchum with merchandise and freight for local businesses. In 1884, when the Oregon Shoreline Railroad reached Ketchum, the wagons distributed freight to mines and returned with ore to the Philadelphia smelter. They carried as much as 18,000 pounds of ore and covered 12 to 14 miles per day. By 1902, when rail service to Mackay and Challis was inaugurated, the need for these giant wagons diminished. Today the appearance of the wagons in Ketchum’s annual Wagon Days Parade are reminders of the vital role they played during the area’s early days.

The Bonning Cabin located adjacent to the Ore Wagon Museum was built in 1882. For years it served as a bunkhouse for the ore wagon freight crews. The one-room log cabin was built out of hand-squared logs hewn with a broad axe. The original roof was covered with clay. Today, it remains one of the town’s oldest buildings.