The Daddy of 'Em All

 Are there any travelers or armchair travelers out there? People looking for inspiring vistas, fantastic experiences, and sweet memories? If you said yes, yes, or yes, then have I got a destination for you! Save the date because the 129^th anniversary of the Daddy of ’Em All is coming to Cheyenne, Wyoming July 18-July 27, 2025.

Cheyenne Frontier Days has the distinction of being the largest outdoor rodeo in the world, and I can tell you from experience that it is fun! Interestingly, the dates include the National Day of the Cowboy which will be July 26, 2025.

What began in 1897 as a one-day event showcasing cowboy skills such as bronco busting and steer roping, has grown over the years to become a stop on the PRCA circuit (Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association) and draws top professionals who compete for more than a million dollars in cash and prizes.

Shad Mayfield is featured on the PRCA website as the Frontier Days winner of tie down roping this past Sunday.

The sheer size of the rodeo is exciting enough by itself, but it isn’t the only draw to Frontier Days. Over the course of the ten-day festival, there’s a carnival, live music, an air show, professional bull riding, and a village full of Native American art and crafts.

Parades, an Old West Museum, and pancake breakfasts round out the experience of camaraderie and western-themed fun.

I really can’t say enough about Frontier Days. My two sisters, a family friend, and I made the trip together twenty years ago, and it has lived in my heart ever since. 

It’s funny sometimes the things that stick in your mind. My sister and I were reminiscing a couple of weeks ago about the hair we found in the hotel room bed upon check-in. Our late-night complaint led us to a new room and the beginning of our adventure ha ha.

I remember feeling lightheaded at the altitude change (I had come from Los Angeles).

It was the first time I saw live bull riding, and the athleticism and courage of the riders captured my admiration so thoroughly that my first book, Blue Skies, Blue Eyes just had to be about a bull-rider! Clay West.

My second book, The Game, gives the heroine, Maisie Ellison, a unique tie to Frontier Days as a former event coordinator. She and Beau, the hero, also get to visit the festival and live some of the fun I found there so many years ago. I enjoy including things I’ve experienced or would still like to experience in my books.

Frontier Days is definitely a return-visit kind of place. If I ever get the chance to go again, you can bet I’ll be there in a heartbeat.

Summer is such a great time for rodeos, festivals, and fairs of all kinds. I grew up going to the Festival of the Arts in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For three days in June, they close the downtown streets for a mind-melting, tastebud tingling array of ethnic food, fine art displays, and performances of all kinds, featured on multiple stages scattered throughout the streets.

If you’d like to be involved in a festival, volunteer roles abound as do opportunities to become a vendor, or to simply to support your community with the purchase of tickets and other goods for sale.

Nowadays, you won’t find me on a rollercoaster or trying to win giant stuffed animals on the midway, but I still enjoy a good festival or fair. My most recent visit was to a lavender festival near my home. The grounds were strung with twinkling white lights, and I sampled a fig and lavender pizza as well as lavender sparkling water. Our group roasted s’mores around the fire as nighttime fell.

Music, food, and entertainment in the great outdoors are the stuff good events are made of. There is something about these rich experiences and community interactions that feeds my soul. How about you?

You may not be able to get to the “Daddy of ’Em All, but I’ll bet you know of other good destinations you could share with us. What are some festivals you’ve been to or events in your area that you could recommend? Once we have a good list, I think it’ll be time to sit down and map out a mega road trip for next summer, don’t you? Western lovers taking the country by storm, lol.

Till next time, friends.

Cali Black

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