Ernest Hemingway Festival Held in Ketchum

The Sun Valley Ketchum Chamber and Visitors Bureau will hold the Second Annual Ernest Hemingway Festival in Sun Valley, Idaho, September 28 - October 1. The schedule includes notable Hemingway scholars and speakers, including Valerie Hemingway, author of the recent memoir Running With The Bulls.

The festival celebrates Hemingway's time in Idaho and explores some of his haunts.

The Nature Conservancy owns Ernest Hemingway's last home in Ketchum. The Conservancy is currently archiving historic items in the home, and a preserve caretakers is ensuring that necessary repairs are made to best preserve the cultural assets of the home. The home is not open to the public to respect community wishes. A special fundraising dinner to provide necessary funding for the upkeep and ongoing management of the home will be held during the festival, contact the Chamber and Visitors Bureau for more information.

Ernest Hemingway also played an important role at another Nature Conservancy preserve: Silver Creek. Beginning in the 1930's, Hemingway was often invited to the area by the Sun Valley Resort for publicity. He often hunted ducks along Silver Creek, then part of the resort, with other celebrities like Gary Cooper. Ernest's son, Jack, loved spending time at the creek. When the Silver Creek property later came up for sale, it was Jack who contacted The Nature Conservancy to purchase the preserve.

Photo: Ernest Hemingway (third from left) prepares for a hunting outing along Silver Creek with family and friends.