Here's a llama, there's a llama

There wasn’t any drama on Saturday at the BearTrap Cafe and Bar, though there were plenty of llamas.

The Platte Valley Arts Council, in cooperation with 307 Llama Company and the BearTrap, hosted a llama art event from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. According to Mary Martin, secretary of the Platte Valley Arts Council, the event was well attended with 39 kids and 45 adults.

“We actually beat Saratoga Days (this year) and that’s usually our big draw as far as participation,” said Martin.

The event itself was planned and organized by Kelli Granieri, the newest board member of the arts council. Granieri and Martin both ran the event on August 5, which gave children the opportunity to see and interact with the llamas before creating llamas of their own using paper plates, glue and markers. The entire event took place in the backyard of the BearTrap, a space typically used for concerts.

“I felt very safe with the llamas having that backyard fenced in, a place for them to actually eat and a large enough space where they weren’t on concrete,” said Martin. “I hope that everyone enjoyed the space and the area.”

According to Martin, when the Platte Valley Arts Council and 307 Llama Company were planning the event, she made the suggestion to schedule it the same weekend as the community yard sale and picnic in Encampment. Martin said she believed it was an event that would need to be attached to another event, and it would use the downtime between the yard sale and the picnic to give people something to do.

Children appeared to enjoy both interacting with the llamas and creating their own. The paper plates were the perfect medium for the project, with one half serving as the body of the llama and the head, tail and legs coming from the other half. The real llamas were as well behaved, or perhaps better behaved, than the paper llamas.

As children took their turns walking the animals around the grassy portion of the BearTrap property, the llamas calmly followed where they were led. The biggest concern for the animals appeared to be whether or not they could eat. Martin noted there was no spitting from the llamas, adding that 307 Llama Company explained their llamas never spit at people.

Martin praised Granieri for organizing the event and said she was doing great things.