STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

A man carrying two pair of Stockli skis walked briskly down Sun Valley Road as spectators readied for the 2025 Wagon Days Parade.

It could have been an advertisement for the upcoming ski season which, according to the Farmer’s Almanac, is supposed to be pretty darn snowy.

Or, perhaps, it was just a sign that Wagon Days marks the end of summer with kids returning to school and businesses like REMAX Sun Valley throwing end-of-summer barbecues for their clients.

The baby buffalo, the newest member of Jeral and Jenine Williams’ family, darted around its handler looking for its bottle.

Suzanne Long seemed to buck the trend with tables full of brightly colored flowers, her father Chip Fisher handing out free mimosas to those who would take the time to stop and look.

But, actually, they were something that those who love flowers might want to consider heading into fall as they were actually faux flowers that will last all year round. They look real, they feel real, and those who want can even drop a non-allergenic scent into the flower vase.

The flowers are perfect for second homeowners, said Long, who worked as Albertsons’ chief sustainability and transformation officer before starting Fauxliage.

They’re also good for that corner of the home that doesn’t tolerate real flowers for some reason, she said.

Suzanne Long shows off her Fauxliage flowers.

“I have gone all over the world to find the best,” she said.

The flowers can be ordered online at fauxliage.com beginning in early 2026 and the drop-in scents will be available about the same time. And Long says she hopes to partner with local businesses to have occasional pop-up shows.

Members of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes took part in the parade, which sits on lands their ancestor crossed while heading to fish salmon north of Ketchum.

Jake Moe did double duty, strutting around like a man about town and sharing announcer responsibilities with Nappy Neaman.