We had already been to Wyoming during our “48 States or Bust” tour, but Cheyenne was right on the route between the Rockies and Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and their famous Frontier Days were about to kick off, so we made a three-day pit stop to get our Western on! With everything in Cheyenne being booked up, we had to stay an hour away in Laramie at the KOA (which is never our first choice), but the higher prices and the sardine-tight sites were worth it, because we weren’t there for the RV park, anyway. We were there for the rodeo! How can you go to Wyoming, and not go to a rodeo?!
Equipped with our playlist (courtesy of Ray), we rolled in to town listening hits like George Strait’s ‘I Can Still Make Cheyenne’ and Garth Brooks’ ‘Beaches of Cheyenne.’
Cheyenne Frontier Days, the ‘largest outdoor rodeo’ and ginormous western celebration that began in 1897, runs the last full week of July, and it all starts with one of four Grand Parades. We were up bright and early on Saturday morning to catch that one in downtown Cheyenne. I have to say this was one of the best parades I’ve ever been to, and it holds the record for most horses in a parade in the U.S., which makes sense! They had a ton of horse-drawn carriages, which was a pretty cool feature, and it makes this parade so different from any others.
The next stop was the Park and Ride, where we boarded a Laramie County school bus for a short ride over to Frontier Park, where the festival is held. Frontier Days includes daily and nightly rodeos, carnival rides, a ton of fair foods, so much western shopping, lots of entertainment, and nightly concerts. The evening line-up for the week included artists like Brantley Gilbert, Little Big Town, Sawyer Brown, Luke Bryan, and Jason Aldean. We didn’t attend any evening events, as we spent most of all-day Saturday and Sunday there, but if we weren’t going to be in South Dakota by the time Luke Bryan takes the stage, we would have all four been there (front and center). His concert is on Wednesday…
We did partake in the fair foods (chicken-on-a-stick, waffle fries, gallon-sized lemonade), and the girls enjoyed a ride or two. However, their favorite part of the carnival was “winning” some stuffed toys. In fact, Mommy “won” a big Smurfette that only cost $20! Jayden would have spent our last dime playing carnival games and winning stuffed animals, but we had to cut them off.
We also enjoyed a stroll through Old Frontier Town, where the girls got in some pony rides and feeding animals at the petting zoo.
One of Ray’s favorite parts of Frontier Days was the Western Experience. This area was mostly dedicated to educating people on adopting wild horses (Mustangs). Because of the wild horse overpopulation, the Bureau of Land Management runs a program where they adopt these Mustangs out to people for a fee. A dear friend of mine did this once, and that was the first I’d heard of such. We got to meet some of the horses, the girls fed them, and we gathered some info that I’m sure Ray will be referencing in the future (he is ready to adopt himself a horse)!
Our last stop of the day Saturday was to Indian Village, where American Indian performers participate in the Cheyenne Frontier Days celebration. Since Native Americans are a huge part of Western history, this area is dedicated to their culture and way of life. We were mesmerized by the colorful clothing worn and the beautiful dances performed.
We were beyond exhausted after our first day at Frontier Days, so we went back to the RV and got a good night’s sleep, before heading back for Day 2.
Sunday was all about the rodeo for us! Though we had more fair food (the chili-cheese nachos may have been a bad choice on my part) and did a little shopping, the bulk of our time spent at Frontier Park on the second day was in the arena, watching the cowboys and cowgirls do their thing!
There was bull riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, bareback riding, wild horse riding, barrel racing, stunts and more! This was definitely the highlight for me, though three hours of rodeo fun proved to be a lot for two six-year-olds. They were happy with their Dippin’ Dots (and I was glad they were selling Mike’s Hard Lemonade – and not just beer… something for everyone), but Jayden was ready to leave after the first hour (She clearly prefers winning Smurfette dolls to watching rodeos).
Nevertheless, it was hugely entertaining for us adults!
I’m happy to report that I got through the weekend without buying a cowgirl hat or boots, as I know I am not that person. But, Man, it was tempting. I did get a baseball cap. Maybe one day when we buy the farm, adopt the wild horses, and get some goats, I can start sporting the boots and hat! For now, I’m hoping that urge will disappear once we leave Wyoming. It’s been fun, though!
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