All Articles In "Activities"

EXCITING and NEW is the name of our game! The tourism game, that is, as we head into a promising summer tourism season . . . .

With all the great promotions in place for our successful season, we are excited with each feature of our seasonal events, activities, historic sites, and attractions! Kicking off work with our oldest and biggest annual tourism event, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo (as if I had to tell you), has an enhanced presence with their NEW display at the Information Center on East 5th Street! This means the nearly 100,000 visitors coming though the Center annually have yet one more reason to stay in Sheridan longer, or to come back on their return trip.

In our highest May visitation since 2007, our Center’s team served nearly 10,000 visitors! And for this very purpose, we continue to enhance our customer services and displays to showcase each.

We also now have a NEW B&B within the city limits – the Residence Hill B&B! For overnight travelers, this lovely, historic lodging property, adds to our unique and varied options – quaint local inns and cottages, chain hotels, mountain lodges and authentic ranches. We anxiously await future progress for the Sheridan Inn’s NEW Buffalo Bill character suites.

Sheridan Travel and Tourism’s (STT) work with the Wyoming Film Office and Rosie Berger showcased Sheridan to major film company scouts seeking NEW set locations again this past week. The Los Angeles scouts, with cameras in hand, explored Eatons’ Ranch, Kendrick Mansion, our polo facilities, and mountains. And following our French TV programming two years ago, Director Girard called recently to continue promotions of Sheridan and our western culture!

Speaking of filming, we are blessed with Craig Johnson’s brand NEW “Longmire” episodes weekly debut on A&E, and in the Wall Street Journal, and on billboards across the East Coast! For years he has taken Wyoming and Sheridan to a whole new level with his books’ features of the fictitious Absaroka County (a lot like Sheridan County), and now his ten TV episodes! I thoroughly enjoyed the first two, and you will want to tune in with me at 8 PM for Sunday’s third episode.

Surrounded by these positive energies and projects, STT continues to enhance our outreach to over 19 million through our aggressive marketing endeavors – coordinating all with our NEW ‘Blaze Trails’ theme. Our EXCITING, and NEW $300,000 advertising campaign covers broadcasting, web, electronic, print and billboards – all driving perspective visitors to our website, via multiple QR codes over the last few years, and then naturally to the Sheridan area!

STT’s marketing, revealed in the 3-state, 15-billboard campaign, draws those traveling the ‘rubber-tire market’ between Yellowstone National Park and the Black Hills – with Sheridan’s convenient location midway between these two national icons.

In the last 2 weeks we have distributed 73,000 brochures regionally! The NEW ‘Blaze Trails’ brochures and postcards also showcase our area offerings and are available to you and your guests, compliments of STT. Just call us for your supply at 307-673-7120.

Although the ‘project’ is not so new, NEW efforts are certainly on an exciting cutting edge of opportunities to improve our air service. We all know how key this is to our area’s economics and health! And with this week’s assistance and direction from heavy hitters in the Wyoming Aeronautics Division and Senator Hank Coe’s interactions, a core group of the area’s concerned and involved citizens, organizations and businesses is growing. With Sheridan’s current 70% leakage to the Billings airport, it is crucial we unite commitment to enhanced air service with a serious commitment and plan of action for the future of our tourism and business travelers – focusing on price, schedule and reliability!

Sheridan can be proud of our cohesive teams and team-building skills! I know my small team of seven STT Board of Commissioners makes me proud as they work year-round, year after year and they deserve kudos for their proactive dedication to tourism, economics and Sheridan! Thanks Steve Jacobson, Sharie Prout, Ryan Franklin, Dave Youngren, Gary Small, Ryan Mulholland and Rich Bridger!

by Penny Becker
Executive Director
Sheridan Travel and Tourism

What was it like to live on a 1920s gentleman’s working ranch surrounded by art produced by many of the finest Western artists including Charlie Russell, Frederic Remington and Edward Borein?

Join us for a guided tour of the Quarter Circle A Ranch House and enjoy the genteel surroundings complete with meticulously tended grounds and flower gardens featuring heirloom plants and massive old cottonwoods.  Take time for a walk around the outbuildings (Milk House, Carriage Barn, Saddle Barn, etc.) and Little Goose Creek Lodge.

The Bradford Brinton Memorial & Museum opens its doors earlier this year with a free day on Sunday, May 13, Mother’s Day. No need to wait until Memorial Day weekend to check out this year’s summer exhibition in the Reception Gallery: Kelsey and Oriet Circling the Globe featuring bronzes by T.D. Kelsey and pastels, watercolors, oils and drawings by Julie Oriet.  Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday to Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

According to Ken Schuster, Director “this show is so powerful that it literally cannot be restrained within the walls of this gallery, it has escaped these confines and is out holding forth on the grounds of the museum. All joking aside, isn’t that what we get when we visit an engaging exhibition, doesn’t a bit of it go home with us and conjure us back to that special moment in time? T. D. Kelsey and Julie Oriet have given us a show that enthralls us with foreign lands, populated with intriguing animals and engaging individuals. It is sure to draw us back countless times to their magic web spun from bronze, pastel and oil.”

Now hailed as one of the most talented contemporary sculptors in the West, T.D. Kelsey has received no formal art training.  He instead relies on observation and firsthand knowledge and draws his subjects from familiar topics, such as the rodeo, ranch life, and his travels. He is best known for his animal subjects, and much of his work is inspired by his passions for Africa and its wildlife, and a concern for conservation of wildlife worldwide. Kelsey’s passion for creating art is fueled by the many other passions in life, some of which include his Texas ranch: it “gives me the experience that enables me to do Western subjects while enjoying the ranch at the same time.  Wildlife subjects have sent me all over the world for research.  With that comes seeing new country and other cultures that spark new work.  A lot of it requires flying, another passion.”

Julie Oriet is among the West’s most highly respected women artists. She tries to capture the colors and shapes of Western life in her paintings and is best known for her sky-scapes. She also finds inspiration in her travels around the world, with many of her subjects originating from her travels to Africa, Alaska, Italy, Mexico, and Spain. She now resides in Cody, has won the 2002 Artist’s Choice Award at the Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale and has been featured in Art of the West, Southwest Art, Western Art & Architecture, and Western Art Collector.  She states that “this show is created from years of travel and the excitement of endless ideas gathered far and near.”

The exhibition will be on display from May 13 throughout the summer until Labor Day, September 3, museum open daily.  For more information please call the Museum at 672-3173 or check the website at www.BBMandM.org.

Leatherworkers from across the U.S. and from abroad will again be returning to Sheridan, Wyoming to attend this annual trade show!

This year’s show will be held on May 18th – 19th – 20th, 2012, in the Holiday Inn.  The show is open 9 to 5 on Friday and Saturday and 9 to 2 on Sunday.  FREE ADMISSION!  See – Compare – Buy!  Meet company owners, representatives and dealers in person selling leather and leather-related products.

42 different workshops are being offered for all skill levels starting Monday, May 14 through Sunday, May 20th.  Registration and fees apply.  The annual Free Leathercrafting Workshop for Kids (for those under 19 years of age) is offered on Saturday morning, 9 to 12:30 in the Holiday Inn’s Chaparral Room.  The free Trade Show Information Booklet contains all you need to know about the trade show, workshops, awards reception and other events.

The 11th World Leather Debut gallery will again take place in the Sugarland Dining Room (located in the Holiday Inn) for your enjoyment and amazement.  It gets bigger every year!  The public is invited and there is no cost to view the gallery.

While in Sheridan, have an unforgettable western experience in an area that is rich in history with forts, museums, and the best golf courses Wyoming has to offer, surrounded by the majestic Big Horn Mountains.  Take time for western shopping in Sheridan’s unique shops. You can also visit www.sheridanwyoming.org.

To order a Trade Show Information Booklet, contact The Leather Crafters & Saddlers Journal, toll free 888-289-6409 or 715-362-5393 or visit the website at www.leathercraftersjournal.com.

“From the first boot kicked off, ‘til the last tailgate shuts, the most fun you’ll have anywhere.”

Do you love the excitement of rodeo…then you will want to visit beautiful Sheridan, Wyoming during WYO Rodeo week  Friday, July 6th to Sunday, July 15th.

You’ll be in for a treat as the 82nd Annual Sheridan WYO Rodeo, a member of the Million Dollar Tour of Professional Rodeos, is one of the best professional rodeos in the country.

Each of four nightly, Wednesday through Saturday, performances starts off with the traditional roar of the cannon signaling the start of the show!

The Championship Indian Relay Races are the very first event and an event you will not see anywhere else. You’ll be left breathless with excitement – and that’s only the beginning.

Bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, team roping, tie down roping, bull riding, single steer roping and women’s barrel racing follow, each exciting in their own regard. You will watch the very best of the professional rodeo contestants compete at the WYO Rodeo on world championship quality stock provided by Sankey Pro Rodeo.

In addition to the evening performances, slack performances are held every morning from Tuesday through Saturday in order to give all of the 500+ competitors a chance to compete in their respective events. Admission to slack performances is free.

Wednesday is when the WYO carnival opens for business. It’s a large carnival and features the best rides and all the carnival delicacies like cotton candy and funnel cakes. The carnival is open each night of the rodeo performances and is located next to the rodeo arena at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds.  Wednesday is also designated as Kid’s Night at the rodeo. Admission is reduced for Kid’s 12 years old and younger!

If you’re a golfer, the 6th Annual Chris LeDoux Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on July 6th and 7th at the Top 100-ranked Powder Horn Golf Course. This two-day tournament is open to the public, with a limited number of teams, and includes a practice round, BBQ, auction and live entertainment Friday.

The events surrounding rodeo week are plentiful! The Boot Kick Off on Saturday, July 7th is a favorite. Visitors literally “kick off” the festivities by actually kicking off a boot in a contest designed to see who can fling their boot the furthest.  (Hint:  Wear a loose boot!) Winners get braggin’ rights and prizes. It’s a family affair with lots of vendors and good music for your dancing and listening enjoyment. The celebration will be held on the Sheridan College campus and is free and open to the public.

A foot of new powder in the Bighorn Mountains! Off Trail Snow Base has a wide range of six inches up to nearly four feet and it is still early in the season…

Come ride the majestic Bighorns’ boondocker heaven in vast open meadows and on 300 miles of groomed and 50 miles of ungroomed trails just awaiting you!

As announced by “SnoWest” magazine the Bighorn Trail System came in at #7 “The majestic Bighorn Mountains set the scene and offer a winter wonderland of trails and vast open meadows. Here, visitors will find an abundance of opportunities for invigorating outdoor recreation including snowmobiling, alpine and cross country skiing and snowboarding in an ideal mountain setting.”

SnoWest Magazine also praises the Bighorns as “one of the West’s best-kept secrets – offering solitude, scenery and GREAT SNOW!” The Bighorn Trail System is perpetually rated in the Top 15, with the nearest trailhead just 15 miles southwest of Sheridan at Red Grade Road. With 100% ‘real’, dry powder, challenges and excitement continue into April!

Sheridan, voted several years into the Top Towns for Outdoorsmen in America, is conveniently located adjacent to Interstate 90 in north central Wyoming, midway between Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rushmore National Monument.

Sheridan is calling to you before and after your fun on the mountain . . . enjoy the nightlife in historic downtown, comfortable/reasonable lodging, fine dining, and warm western hospitality!

From Old West to Snow West – Boondocking the Bighorn’s near Sheridan, Wyoming

•     Sledders reporting new snow
•     Abundant scenic vistas and exciting off-trail opportunities
•     Over 1 million acres of Bighorn National Forest with hundreds of miles of trails
•     Challenging and endless riding in vast open meadows on countless miles of cross-country trails
•     Easy access to fresh untracked powder
•     If you have short skis, you will want to leave them at home
•     Limited crowds both on and off the trails

Couples searching for romance and adventure will find both in the Old West style of Sheridan, Wyoming!
Nestled beneath the Bighorn Mountains, this historic town offers couples a blend of wild western history with modern adventure.
Here is a sampling of the possibilities for you as couples.

* Learn about the Old West during a historic trolley tour of the historic Main Street District and have a drink with the ghost of Buffalo Bill  at the 118 year old  Sheridan Inn.
* Get the adrenaline pumping while riding snowmobiles or horses along trails and across alpine meadows in the majestic Bighorn  Mountains.
* Glimpse true cowboy culture at Kings Saddlery & Museum with its cowboy and Indian memorabilia year-round or during the huge, week-long 82nd Sheridan WYO Rodeo in July.
* Embark on life’s big adventure and get married amidst fields of Poppies, Forget-me-nots, and Indian paintbrush in summer or below gold and terracotta leaves in  autumn.

A number of packages currently featured in Sheridan include a “Wine and Roses” or honeymoon package through the Wingate by Wyndham and a “Special Occasion” package with the Holiday Inn and snowmobiling the Bighorns through the Best Western Sheridan Center. Other accommodation options from B & B’s and cottages to campgrounds are available as well.

No matter the season, Sheridan is ready for romance and adventures.

Just outside of town in the Big Horn Mountains there are over 300 miles of groomed trails interspersed with powder-covered alpine meadows perfect for snowmobiles. The Best Western Plus in Sheridan and Bear Lodge Resort have put together a snowmobile package which includes one night accommodation, sled rental, insurance, breakfast, and helmet. The Holiday Inn is also inviting snowmobilers to join the fun.

“The Bighorn mountains have over 50 inches on Hunt Mountain road area and 6 to 12″ at the lodges” reports Rick Young owner of Lodges of the Northern Bighorns. ”According to state trail workers we have the best snow in Wyoming… It is the best snow for this time of year that I have seen since 1996!  Although not a base yet, 100% grooming of the trail system is scheduled to begin Monday; December 19.”

Aspiring artists can capture the peace and tranquility of the mountains while snowshoeing or cross-country skiing former logging trails. A warming hut on the Sibley Lake trails is perfect for an afternoon picnic. Adventurers looking to bring along a canine companion may prefer to skijor the nearby Cutler Ski Trails.

After a day in the snow, warm up in one of Sheridan’s many fine restaurants, night spots, or lodging properties and then Blaze Trails in the historic downtown for a unique history and shopping experience.

Nothing says “It’s December!” like snowflakes, figgy pudding and Father Christmas. We can’t absolutely promise the snow, but you’ll find Father Christmas and plenty of figgy goodness at the Trail End Guilds’ annual Holiday Open House!
A local holiday tradition for nearly thirty years, the Open House is scheduled for December 2, 3 & 4.

Trail End – a 14,000 square foot mansion overlooking Sheridan’s Kendrick Park – shows off its holiday finery from Thanksgiving through mid-December. Seven ornately decorated trees – including several nine-foot beauties – stand throughout the house, from the Drawing Room to the Ballroom. Windows and staircases are draped with garlands while potted poinsettias enhance nearly every horizontal surface.

In the mansion’s historic kitchen, Trail End staff and volunteers will serve up tasty seasonal treats. This year, hot-spiced cider is paired with delicious Figgy Pudding – a holiday tradition at Trail End for two decades.

Father Christmas has once again consented to make an appearance at the Holiday Open House. With his snowy beard, long red coat and carved wooden staff, Father Christmas is ready and willing to talk to your little ones about all their Christmas dreams and wishes. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles are all encouraged to bundle up the kiddies and bring them around for a visit.

Always a popular feature of the open house, this year’s live musical performances vary from organ music to Celtic tunes to chamber music – and everything in between.  With a different act featured each hour, the Holiday Open House is a showcase for the best in local talent. Hours are 4 pm to 7 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Admission is two dollars for adults. Children are admitted at no charge, but must be accompanied by an adult.

Trail End will close during the winter months, from December 15, 2011 through March 31, 2012, to allow staff time to update the site’s interpretive displays. The current exhibit, “No Time For Boredom,” will be replaced by “The Label Made Me Buy It: Advertising and Consumerism in Early the Twentieth Century.” Using artifacts and images from the Trail End collections, as well as period magazines, newspapers and correspondence, this entertaining exhibit will show visitors how creative advertising and the rise of national brands helped usher in our current Age of Consumerism.

Trail End is located at 400 Clarendon Avenue. Parking for the Open House is available on Delphi, Clarendon and Victoria Streets. Limited handicapped parking is available in the circular drive between the Kendrick Mansion and the Carriage House Theater. A modern elevator provides access to the upper and lower floors for the mobility challenged.

The Trail End State Historic Site is operated by the State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails Division of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. For more information on Trail End, the Holiday Open House or the Trail End Guilds, please phone 307-674-4589, or log on to www.trailend. org.

Stroll the Wild West

 Does your Christmas shopping begin with fireworks, carolers, musicians, a beautifully decorated downtown, pictures with Santa and homemade chili? How about rides on a trolley, carriage, hay wagon or miniature train?

No? Then you need to come to Sheridan the day after Thanksgiving!

This year will mark our 16^th anniversary of Christmas Stroll. On Friday, November 25, from 4:00 to 8:00pm, Main Street in our historic downtown will be shut down to vehicle traffic to allow visitors, locals, families and friends to stroll downtown to do some Christmas shopping.

Christmas Stroll is a great time to get your shopping done early. Sheridan’s downtown has a mix of specialty gifts, clothing, shoes, home decorations, crafts, sporting goods, kitchenware, bath products, art, furniture, antiques, books and of course western wear. Think of how many people on your Christmas list fit in those categories.

To keep with Sheridan tradition, be sure to pick up your collector Stroll button! Each button features a unique number. If the number on your button matches the winning button number posted in a participating store, you win a gift from that store! Over 80 stores participate, so that is 80 chances to win! And as if that wasn’t good enough, if you win at a store, you are entered into the Grand Prize drawing for $1,000. Now that’s a Merry Christmas!

If you want to experience a true family-friendly town shopping experience, we will see you in Sheridan on November 25. For more information on the Christmas Stroll, call the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce at 307-672-2485.

History lovers traveling to northern Wyoming are in luck. Not only is it full of old-time ranching lore and frontier battle sites, Sheridan is home to Wyoming’s premier historic house museum, the Trail End State Historic Site.

Since its completion in 1913 – and its designation as a state historic site in 1982 – Trail End has greeted thousands of visitors, from family and friends to school children and international tourists. Built by cowboy-turned-politician John B. Kendrick, Trail End displays an elegantly different aspect of both Wyoming’s colorful ranching history and Sheridan’s rich western heritage.

For modern day visitors, Trail End offers a fun and educational experience. Its many exhibits and displays examine life in Sheridan during the years 1913 to 1933, mostly through the eyes of its original owners, the Kendrick family. From sofas and draperies to typewriters and soupspoons, nearly all the furnishings in the 14,000 square foot mansion are original to either the house or the family.

Emphasis this year is being placed on the many ways people entertained themselves during the days before television, radio and the Internet. According to Site Superintendent Cynde Georgen, the whole-house exhibit No Time for Boredom: Making the Most of Leisure Time in a “Screenless” Society came out of questions asked during elementary school tours. “Kids are fascinated with what the Kendricks were like, particularly what they did for fun. When we tell kids that computers, televisions, radios and iPods didn’t exist at the time the house was occupied, they are amazed. They immediately want to know what people did instead. So we decided to answer the question with an exhibit.”  

“We’ve become a nation of ‘screen watchers,’” says Georgen, “who get the bulk of our information via electronic media. Statistics show that today’s average American spends nearly five hours a day watching television, with additional time spent on the computer, cell phone and other information devices.” From sports, recreation and hobbies to art, literature and music, No Time for Boredom examines how people spent their free time before the introduction of all these screens. “Using artifacts, family photographs and period publications,” Georgen concludes, “the exhibit proves that life before screens was definitely not boring!”

No Time for Boredom will be on display at Trail End throughout the 2011 season, which continues through Wednesday, December 14th. The Trail End State Historic Site is located at 400 Clarendon Avenue in Sheridan, just minutes from the historic Main Street District, the Sheridan County Rodeo grounds, the Sheridan County Museum, and the Historic Sheridan Inn. A spur of the Sheridan Pathways Project connects the site to Kendrick Park, the Buffalo & Elk Pasture and Whitney Commons, while the on-site apple orchard provides a shady spot for picnicking and relaxation.

Trail End opens for the 2011 season on Friday, April 1. Spring and fall hours are 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. daily, seven days a week. Summer hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. begin June 1, and continue through the end of August. The site will be open the Saturday, Sunday and Monday of Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., as well as all day on the Fourth of July.