KINGMAN – Alpacas of the Southwest is hosting its two-day 17th Annual Alpaca Farm Days Celebration Oct 1-2. Hours are 9: 30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
This event provides families and the public the opportunity to experience a close up look at one of nature’s beautiful and docile animals. It’s very interactive as visitors take pictures of some of the 37 alpacas. Alpaca Farm Days is free to the public and a wonderful way for a family to spend the day. A demonstration of how alpacas are sheared annually will also be presented.
Several local southwest artisans will be a part of the event with unique handmade items for purchase. Among them are handmade soaps and candles, wooden furniture, live cacti and succulents, and home decor to name a few. Children are invited to visit the Kids Arts and Craft Cabin to create and take home art projects they create. Kids can also paint a rock to take home or hide at the ranch. “Be sure to stop by the face-painting booth as well.
As in the past, the Mohave County Rock and Gem Club (Gemstoners) will have a booth with plenty of rocks and gemstones for purchase. As a special event, High Desert Astronomy Club of Kingman will have a variety of solar telescopes on hand (Saturday only) for visitors to view solar activity. Members of the club will be available for visitors to learn more about astronomy.
The Alpaca store will be open all weekend to give visitors the opportunity to experience luxury, extremely soft alpaca products. “We have a large inventory of socks, sweaters, hats, gloves, yarns and more, as well as handmade rugs made from the fleece of alpacas raised on the ranch,” said Anna Nyberg, who co-owns Alpacas of the Southwest with her husband Ron. Cold can sodas and bottled water will be available for purchase but no food but new vendors will be on hand.
Alpaca Farm Days was created to attract visitors and tourists but also to attract families. Ron and Anna have successfully been in the agri-tourism industry since 2003 and enjoy sharing the love of these animals by conducting tours at their ranch. Because of their convenient location off Interstate 40, halfway between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon, many people stop by on their way to popular destinations such as the Grand Canyon, Sedona and Phoenix.
The Nybergs enjoy educating visitors about the history of alpacas, which are members of the South American Camelid family. There are two types of alpacas, the more common Huacaya and the much rarer Suri. Guests can see both types at the ranch. Alpacas are sheared annually after which their fleece is processed into luxurious clothing and other products. Visitors are welcome to visit and shop in the store during the event. “For the safety of our guests, we kindly ask to respect social distancing. Hand Sanitizers will be readily available. No dogs please due to livestock and livestock guardian dogs,” said Anna Nyberg.
The Alpacas of the Southwest Ranch is located off the Blake Ranch Rd Exit and Interstate 40 heading east. “Simply take the Blake Ranch exit and follow the signs,” Anna suggests. For more information about the two-day celebration, or to learn more about tours, please call (928) 225-1450.
