Svetlana Villegas says she’s always dreamed of having a farm — but admits running one would be a little too much work.
So instead, the Logan resident and her sons make an annual trip to Baby Animal Days at the American West Heritage Center in Wellsville — a chance to get up close with newborn ponies, piglets, and chicks, without the heavy lifting.
“We just come, we pet them, and then we go home,” Villegas said. “That’s the best part, because you can’t do it anywhere else. And they let you get in the cage with them, they let you pet them and see them and hold them.”
She and her family's favorite part? The baby calves.
“I already told them we should take one home,” she said.
Calves, goats, lambs, donkeys, turtles, and baby bison are just some of the animals participants can get up close and personal with. On Saturday, visitors will even have the chance to see baby bears brought to the center by Yellowstone Bear World.
Kyndie Jorgensen, marketing assistant for the Center, says Baby Animal Days is the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds help keep the living history museum up and running all year long.
She says the event draws nearly 30,000 visitors each year, coming from all across the state — and even the country. And that number keeps growing each year.
In recent years, it’s also partnered with the center’s Mountain Man Rendezvous — giving guests a chance to not only see the baby animals, but also step back in time. Visitors can meet costumed reenactors and vendors who share what life was like in Cache Valley during the early 1800s.
“It's just so fun for people to do things how they were done 200 years ago," Jorgensen said. "It's really fun to watch.”
This year, visitors can get even closer to the animals by sponsoring a chick or a duckling for just $5 — a donation that helps support the center and offers a more personal connection with the animals, she added.
The fundraiser has been a long-time tradition, and Jorgensen says it’s a favorite among staff at the center.
“Having all the babies and having all the kids and families here — I think that's everybody's favorite part," she said, "is seeing the multi-generational families that have been doing this for 20 years, getting to come and experience it with everybody.”
