Llama Fest 2009
Saturday July 18th, 4 pm
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Dear Llama Owners and Enthusiasts,
Whether you are a llama owner, or a perennial attendee of the Llamafest, this announces the date of Utah Valley's 15th Annual Llama Fest as Saturday July 18th from 4 PM onward. Free registration for llama events, as well as volunteering for the free Llama Fest T-shirt are both possible by e-mailing us at carudas@earthlink.net, or calling (801)798-3559.
This year we hope that owners plan on coming once again with your
beautiful animals. Even if you are an owner who has not spent time with your animals, let
the Llama Fest 2009 be an impetus to bring them in from the fields on
one or more occasions, and get them ready for the big outing. The Utah
Valley Llama Fest is a very low pressure event, where the audience
enjoys the balks and stubbornness of some animals as much as the
flawless performance of others. The main thing is to get a large
variety of animals out on that day to give the public an eyeful. And
if there are any of you who would like to do a workshop or
demonstrations, please let us accommodate you.
We will pay every llama owner $5 for each event entry except for the races. For instance, if you enter an animal in the obstacle course, and in a show event, we will pay you $10.00. We will pay $ 10 for every entry in the Costume Contest (if costume is reasonably ingenious), and $ 10 for every entry in the Beautiful Baby contest. The events are listed below by number, order may vary.
This offer is contingent upon early registration, so we suggest you act now to consult the list of events below, and contact us with your llamas name, events, DOB, gender, etc. This should cover most gas expenses, and as usual there is no admission fee for persons in vehicles pulling llama trailers. If you are not in a vehicle pulling a llama trailer (even if you are relatives of the owners) you will be charged the modest admission fee.
Your early registration, even if your plans change later, will make our job of organizing the festival immensely more easy.
In addition to the animals, the food, crafts, spinning demonstrations, and entertainment all add to the festiveness of the occasion. This year we have the wonderful groups of the past such as Kausachun Peru, Los Hermanos de los Andes, Leraine Horstmanshoff, Los Nuestras Raices, and the Good Karma Blues Band.
If you have any questions, or there is anything we can do to further encourage you to come with some animals, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone or e mail: (801)798-3559/787-1510 or carudas@earthlink.net. And please visit our web site at www.utahvalleyllamas.com
If you know of new llama owners who may not be receiving our mailings, please with their permission forward us the addresses.
Once again, thanks for the past, looking forward to the future.
Utah Valley Llamas
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Information we need for registration:
Event Number and Description, Llama's Name, DOB, Owners and Contact Information
The events will NOT take place in this order. Perfomance and show events will alternate.
All you have to do to register is e-mail us at carudas@earthlink.net.
Give
1) Name of Llama and Gender
2) Age of Llama on July 19, 08
3) Numbers and description of the events entered; ie. Junior Mint, Male, Eleven Months, Beautiful baby Contest.
4) Owners
5) Stories about this llama?
Show Classes Llamas judged and awarded according to conformation, bearing, and movement in the following categories: 1) Males or geldings under three years 2) Males or geldings over three years 3) Females under three 4) Females over three Beautiful baby & Costume 5) Cutest babies under 1 year for male. 6) Cutest babies under 1 year for female. 7) Best costume, llama and handler Performance classes 8) Race for Female Llamas under 3 9) Race for Female Llamas over 3 10) Race for Males under three years 11) Race for Males over three years 12) Overall Race for top Obstacle Course 13) Obstacle course for Llamas under three years. 14) Obstacle course for Llamas over three years. 
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Llama Fest Marks 15th Year
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Spanish Fork event draws thousands to see the pride
of the Andes
The 15th Annual Llama Fest will be held
at Krishna Temple and Utah Valley Llama Farm two miles south of
Spanish Fork on Main St. Festivities start from 4 pm, on Saturday July
18th.
In their native Peru, Chile, and Bolivia, llamas carry heavy loads over
terrain which is impassable to motorized vehicles. They are the trucks
of the Andes. In America, life is much easier where they have become
popular for carrying camping gear on weekend hikes and day trips. Many
have found a niche as sheep guards on the open range. Still others,
like an RV purchased with good intentions but somehow never used, spend
their lives simply munching grass and looking gorgeous and exotic to
passers by.
The Llama Fest was originally conceived as an opportunity to highlight
Llamas and their owners in the most public way possible: in the overall
cultural context of food, music, spinning and weaving demonstrations, music, dance, and competitions between the llamas and their handlers.
"If an average attendance of 4,000-5,000 is a public enough event,"
says festival coordinator Chris Warden, " then we've been successful.
'This is an event which offers more than many festivals. Other
festivals have booths, exhibits, and some food. Above that, any
festival that has good, live entertainment will definitely be
successful: if over and above that, you have llamas, which everyone
likes, and which are relatively safe for children, then you have really
got something that nobody else can offer.'
'We have over 50 llamas ourselves at Utah Valley Llamas and
we encourage other llamas owners from all over the state to bring their
animals. It's a nice family outing where the kids will compete on the
obstacle course and show ring with their llamas for ribbons, and the
parents and grandparents will cheer them on."
The Llama Fest features a baby llama (cria) corral where the children can fraternize with their animal counterparts. There is a beautiful baby contest as well as a costumed event.
Continuous live music and dance on the outdoor stage will come from Los Hermanos de los Andes, The Good Karma Blues Band, Leraine Horstmanshoff, and Nuestras Raices.
Richard Christensen has been to every Llama Fest since 1995. "Early on
in the evening, it's nice to watch the llamas and their handlers. The
llamas are well groomed, graceful, and gentle. It's watching living art
to the background music of the Andes. Towards dusk the beat picks up
and many of the younger folks, like myself, like to dance."
Food booths will offer such south of the border favorites as chili,
nachos, emphanadas, braised vegetables with fried curd, bread pudding,
spicy wraps, and lemon mango fruit drinks.
A good selection of Andean craft items like jewelry, rugs, shawls, carvings and clothing will be available on site. Please
note there are 600 parking spaces on the temple property. Parking is
free. There is no need to park on the road, and walk a long way to the
event.
Bring the whole family for a fun and educational experience.
Admission is $3.00 per person or $1.00/ children. Llama Fest XV is
sponsored in part by a grant from the Utah Arts Council & The
National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information, or to volunteer help before and during the event,
call 798-3559/787-1510. Visit our web site at www.utahvalleyllamas.com
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New Shade Pavillion
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Our new pavillion, seen below at an earlier stage of construction, is now complete. It is a huge structure 90 feet in diameter, which will hold 600 people. This will be the new site for the show ring, and obstacle course, and will provide ample shade for llamas, handlers, and spectators. The roof is insulated, protects against radiant heat, and catches any cool breezes passing by.
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Sincerely,
Utah Valley Llamas
Chris & Christine Warden (801)798-3559/787-1510
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