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

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.

Sheridan has always been proud of its western traditions and frontier heritage. In recent years, the town has received a number of honors and distinctions highlighting its work in historic preservation, small-town hospitality, and adventurous offerings.  In 2011, Sheridan was named a Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a Top Place to Live in the West by American Cowboy, and a Top Town for Sportsmen by Outdoor Life.

“History and cowboy collide in this northern Wyoming town where rough riders and legendary craftsmen share the main street with modern-day cuisine and historic saloons” writes Western Horseman staff.  “The West’s best cowboy destinations often are not along the Interstate or near a major airport . . .” Sheridan is one of “10 small towns that continue to honor their horse, cattle and cowboy heritage.”

Hidden away in the Big Horn Mountains, Sheridan shares her modern and historic charms with visitors.  A central destination in Sheridan, the Historic Main Street District, displays 46 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The Mint Bar remains a favorite cowboy watering hole, and the King’s Museum draws attention for its namesake, internationally-recognized leather craftsman and saddle maker Don King. Sheridan’s most famous cowboy resident, Buffalo Bill, once co-owned the Sheridan Inn and held auditions for his traveling show. Just outside of town, forts and battle sites display the challenges of early frontier life. Reenactments and interpretive centers explain how cowboys fought and survived when the west was still being tamed.

While history is preserved in Sheridan, the new west can be seen here as well. Modern parks, downtown sculptures, summer street festivals and concerts, and championship golf courses are just a few new west additions. In recent years, hang gliding and snowmobiling have joined hunting and fishing as favorite outdoor pursuits in the area.  In its 82nd year, the Sheridan WYO Rodeo is a perfect example of classic cowboy traditions combining with creative new events like bed races and the boot kick-off.

Western Horseman Magazine was established in 1936 and is one of the oldest horse publications in the world.

Sign up to win our vacation package offering the following authentic western experiences in Sheridan, Wyoming:

• EXPLORE WESTERN MUSEUMS AND MANSION – Don King’s Western Museum, Trail End State Historic Site’s ranching heritage, Bradford Brinton Memorial & Museum famous western art, and Sheridan County Museum
• TOUR HISTORIC MAIN STREET – Explore the West’s architectural past via the historic downtown walking or trolley tours and the unique specialty, western, and art shops – home to over 30 buildings on the National Register
• DISCOVER INDIAN WARS – Relive war history surrounding Sheridan at Little Bighorn Battlefield, Fort Phil Kearny – home of Bozeman Trail Days, Fetterman Massacre, Rosebud and Connor Fights 
• LET’S RODEO – Rodeo events all summer, featuring a week of Sheridan WYO PRCA Rodeos, Don King Days Old West Rodeo, cowgirls and county rodeos, youth and college rodeos, and team ropings
• WATCH POLO – Stamp divots, bring a picnic, and enjoy the outdoors, along with talented athletes and horses from around the country – making this fast-paced game entertaining from start to finish
• GOLF CAPITAL OF WYOMING – Championship golf on four gorgeous mountain-view courses’ 81 holes, all within 35 mile radius:  The Powder Horn, Kendrick Golf Course, Sheridan Country Club, Buffalo Golf Course
• EXPERIENCE BIG HORN MOUNTAIN RECREATION – Paradise for fly fishing, hunting, hiking, biking, camping, boating, rock climbing, hang gliding, wild flower/wildlife viewing and photography, snowmobiling, cross-country and downhill skiing
• VISIT BUFFALO BILL’S HOME – Take a tour of the Historic Sheridan Inn, a National Historic Landmark, where Buffalo Bill auditioned acts for his Wild West Show and where presidents once stayed in Victorian splendor
• ENJOY PARKS AND WALKING PATHS – View live elk, buffalo or concerts in Kendrick Park. Enjoy the fountain or labyrinth at Whitney Commons Park, walk or bike along community-wide pathways, or ice skate at the park
• PARTICIPATE IN THE ARTS – Enjoy plays at the WYO or Carriage House Theaters. Visit outdoor sculptures in the Historic Main Street District, art exhibits at Bradford Brinton Museum and Museum, Ucross Foundation, and galleries throughout the community, showcasing hundreds of talented artisans

Penny L. Becker, Executive Director
Sheridan Travel and Tourism
Sheridan, Wyoming – Voted #1 Western Town in America!
307-673-7120 – stt@sheridanwyoming.org
www.sheridanwyoming.org

Nestled beneath the Big Horn 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 117 year old Sheridan Inn.
• Get the adrenaline pumping while riding snowmobiles or horses along trails and across alpine meadows in the majestic Big Horn Mountains.
• Glimpse true cowboy culture at Kings Saddlery & Museum with its cowboy and Indian memorabilia year-round or during the huge, week-long 81st 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 Inn and a “Special Occasion” package with the Holiday Inn and snowmobiling the Big Horns through the Best Western Sheridan Center. Other accommodation options from cottages to campsites are available as well.

No matter the season, Sheridan is ready for romance.

Penny L. Becker, Executive Director
Sheridan Travel and Tourism
Sheridan, Wyoming – Voted #1 Western Town in America!
307-673-7120 – stt@sheridanwyoming.org
www.sheridanwyoming.org