I grew up raising sheep a small herd of sheep in rural Utah. It was my job to herd the sheep along rural roads to a new pasture, or even to monitor as they chomped happily along the side of road. I even considered living in the mountains one summer to watch over the large herds with only a sheepdog for company, but I didn’t end up doing it. Needless to say, I was very excited when we learned about the Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Championship and Festival. This is a fun event where sheepdogs show off their amazing skills, plus a ton of other fun family-friendly events.
The Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Championship and Festival is happening on Memorial Day weekend (May 22-25, 2026). The events run from 8 am – 5 pm each day. There are events going on throughout the day, so no matter when you show up, there will be something fun going on. You can check out the schedule and details here: Soldier Hollow Classic.
There is an admission fee for the festival, but once inside all the activities are free. There are activities for kids like face painting and a petting zoo. There is a lot to do, including 3 “stages” with events going almost all the time. In addition, there are vendor booths, food trucks, and a live Scottish band.
The main stage features the sheepdog herding competition. This even pairs a human and a really smart dog tasked with bringing five sheep down from the top of the hill, through several gates, and into a holding pen. The role of the human is to direct the dog through a series of whistles, verbal commands, and hand signals. This was really fun to watch. First, the dogs went up the hill and brought the sheep down. He had to send all 5 sheep through a gate or risk a penalty. Then, the sheep were herded across the field and divided into a group of 2 and a group of 3. They had to hold this formation for a certain amount of time. Then the sheep were gathered and herded through another series of gates set far apart on the hill. Finally, the sheepdog and the human worked together to put the sheep in a holding pen in the middle of the field. This all had to be done in a set amount of time, and it was very difficult to do. We enjoyed watching this event, and this alone would have been worth the price of admission.
On the second stage, there was a dog agility show. We enjoyed this event, too. Trained rescue dogs were run through a series of obstacles including tunnels, jumps, see-saws, and weaving sticks. The dogs had races and were timed, but this event was more based on fun than competition. We laughed and cheered on the dogs as they competed.
The third stage had a live bird show running at certain times. There were owls, falcons, and eagles that performed simple tricks and soared around the area. They responded to calls and signals (except one disobedient bird named Dylan). As bird-lovers, we enjoyed this break from the dog shows that were more consistently going on.
Make sure to grab the family pack because it is the best deal. You can see more about pricing on their website.
We are excited to check out the Solder Hollow Classic Sheepdog Championship in Heber Valley. It is a ton of fun for families. If you are looking for other things to do in the Heber Valley area to make this a full weekend trip, check out this post: Things to do in Heber Valley.
