BY KAREN BOSSICK

The Pioneer Saloon’s Dusty Witmer will be this year’s Wagon Days Grand Marshal.

Heather Mehra-Pedersen has been selected to create the commemorative Wagon Days Poster for the iconic Labor days Weekend celebration. The painting features the iconic Big Hitch ore wagons traversing a dirt road against the backdrop of Bald Mountain and a blazing sun.

This year’s honorees were selected for their contributions to the community and their embodiment of the Wagon Days spirit.

Dusty Witmer continues to take part in many of the day-to-day operations of the Pioneer Saloon after 52 years in the restaurant business.

Witmer’s Pioneer Saloon has been a must stop for visitors to Sun Valley, as well as a mainstay for locals since 1970. Witmer bought half ownership in the business in 1977 and full ownership in 1986.

And this past February the Pioneer Saloon was one of six restaurants in the country to be awarded a 2025 James Beard America’s Classics Award, which recognizes independently owned restaurants that are beloved by their communities.

The Pio is the only restaurant in the state of Idaho to have won the James Beard restaurant award. “Capturing the spirit of the American West, this saloon blends rustic charm with warm hospitality, making it the perfect spot to hunker down for the night and enjoy a hearty meal,” the James Beard Foundation wrote about the award.

The Pio’s slogan is, “If you haven’t been to Pioneer, you haven’t been to Ketchum.” And, indeed, it has been the local watering hole for a wide range of people from Bill Gates to former Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax and Sun Valley homeowner /actor Clint Eastwood. It’s chock full of Hemingway and Western memorabilia, which diners can oogle while they await their prime rib and what Witmer calls the largest baked potato served in the Untied States.

These three paintings of Heather Mehra-Pedersen’s can be seen at Graham Galleries during tonight’s Gallery Walk.

Witmer and his family accepted the award in June at the Lyric Opera of Chicago where, they say, they were treated as red carpet royalty. Witmer joked that he must have bought a few drinks at the Pioneer Saloon for the nominating committee: “A handshake and a drink go a long way in this great town of Ketchum.”

Witmer will be honored in the Grand Marshal Reception that takes place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29, at Ketchum Town Square. The City of Ketchum will provide complimentary food and beverages at the reception.

Ketchum Mayor Neil Bradshaw said that Witmer represents all the values treasured by the local community: historical preservation, stewardship and community spirit.

“I look forward to the Big Hitch rolling by the Pioneer Saloon” he added. “To me, it will represent two old friends coming together and toasting the journey that has brought them to this day. It will be wonderful to celebrate Duffy’s journey and honor him for all that he has contributed to our community."

Mehra-Pedersen who formerly lived in the Wood River Valley but now lives in North Idaho, is a prolific oil painter, whose colorful, textured large-scale paintings of skiers, grizzly bears, moose and eagles can be seen at Graham Galleries on Sun Valley Road.

Her artwork will be displayed and her posters available for purchase at the Ore Wagon Museum that houses the Big Hitch wagons. The museum will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 11 through Aug. 31.

“Spending my young adult life as a Wood River Valley resident, I never missed Wagons Days,” she said. “Standing in this moment today, I’m in awe, humbled by the opportunity to contribute to such a cherished tradition. It truly feels like an emotional full circle”