Cheyenne Frontier Days
[1] Lodging fills up quickly during the peak tourist season throughout southern and eastern Wyoming, into northern Colorado and western Nebraska.
High temperatures around 81 °F (27 °C) and fair weather are normal for the time of year when this event is held; the elevation is approximately 6,150 feet (1,870 m) above sea level.
Cowboy style bars and country and western themed establishments scattered throughout the city of Cheyenne are popular with many rodeo fans and participants, and they file in with large numbers after the night shows.
In 2013, 447 steers, herded by mounted cowboys, walked three miles from Hynds Boulevard into Frontier Park.
[4] Cheyenne Frontier Days has a full-time staff of 18 people year round, and an estimated 3,000 volunteers, of whom a small number are paid.
[8] The rodeo draws many of the sport's top competitors due to its more than $1 million in cash and prizes available.
There are also a few other select events which include saddle bronc futurity, trick riding, the wild horse race, and the dinner bell derby.
Slack rodeo events are open to the public at no charge and usually take place in the early to mid morning hours.
[11] The Challenger Series is the only Professional Bull Riders (PBR) tour in the United States since 2022 that takes place during the PBR Team Series season (summer and autumn) where riders compete as individuals.
[15] In 2019, the PBR brought the Unleash the Beast Series' Last Cowboy Standing event to Cheyenne.
[16][17] The event would have taken place in 2020, but was cancelled, along with the entire Cheyenne Frontier Days festival because of COVID-19 restrictions.
[21][22] Cheyenne Frontier Days features nightly concerts by popular music and comedy acts, a midway, a fair with rides, games, and food vendors, wild west shows featuring Western riding, an Indian village, and a large PRCA nationally sanctioned rodeo.
[23] Three free pancake breakfasts are served each year which are sponsored by the local Kiwanis chapter.
They are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with close to 40,000 people taking advantage of this every year.
On the days in between the free pancake breakfasts, the city of Cheyenne hosts the Grand Parade in the morning.
The parade is now composed of floats, automobiles, horse-drawn antique carriages, riders in period dress, and top marching bands.
One popular attraction is the Native American Village which is open throughout Frontier Days and is free.
[30] Authentic chuckwagon crews visit for a few days to demonstrate life on the Goodnight Trail,[31] which was more than 100 years ago.
[33] On the Frontier Park itself, not far from the stadium, there is the carnival midway, a fair with games, rides, and food vendors.
And then in the evening, there are nightly concert ticket giveaways, beer specials, bands, and the usual good time.
The Thunderbirds made their public debut at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1953 and have continued to perform regularly since then.
The ground portion of this show along with static displays and flying of other aircraft takes place on the Wyoming Air National Guard side of the Cheyenne Regional Airport.
The Thunderbirds' main aerobatic display is performed over Francis E Warren Air Force Base.
The museum also hosts the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame for its rodeo.
Inductees include legends such as Lane Frost, Chris LeDoux, Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels, Reba McEntire, George Strait, and Garth Brooks.
[38][39] Circa 1980, the annual Western Art Show has been taking place in the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum.
First there is a buy-it-now option, which enables ticket holders to instantly purchase art at a premium.
Both of these enable ticket holders a chance to purchase art before it is made available to the general public.
