CHEYENNE — Braving sweltering heat and spontaneous downpours, attendees of the “Daddy of ‘em All” truly must be prepared for the outdoors aspect of the world’s largest outdoor rodeo and western celebration.
For first-time rodeo-goers, the do’s and don’ts of Cheyenne Frontier Days can be confusing. You may be questioning what to wear, what to bring and even where to park. Once you get past the culture shock, however, CFD transforms into an immersive western experience.
This year’s Miss Frontier, Caitlin Garcia, and her lady-in-waiting, Haylie Turley, are the closest thing to Cheyenne royalty. They both have been attending the rodeo since they were kids and were even Dandies prior to holding their new positions.
While attending rodeo competitions, eating fried fair food, shopping western goods and venturing outside of Frontier Park, you’ll likely see Miss Frontier and her lady-in-waiting. The two young women represent CFD in the purest form, and as such they know the absolute most about surviving the “Daddy of ‘em All.”
Get up and get to it
“Come early,” Garcia told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. “That doesn’t mean early in the week, but more so early in the day.”
Cheyenne gets hot in the afternoons, with an average of 84 degrees Fahrenheit in July, according to Visit Cheyenne. If it’s not hot, it’ll likely be rainy. Getting to Frontier Park early in the day allows visitors to park nearby and enjoy the events before the weather has its say in the matter.
The biggest benefit of being an early bird this week is parking.
“There’s not a lot of close parking, so you may have to walk a little,” Garcia said. “A lot of our parking is in The Avenues. … If you find a free spot on the curb, you’re welcome to park there also, but there’s not really any parking on the park.”
Get gussied up
If you’re feeling the western spirit and want to try your hand at dressing up, there’s still plenty to keep in mind. As you pick out jeans, button-up shirts and especially hats, remember the weather — mainly the heat.
“The straw (cowboy) hats are awesome for summer,” Garcia said. “The felt hats have really cool colors, but they are a lot warmer than your straw hats. So if you’re going to buy one, and you want something that’s light and cool for the summer, definitely go for a straw hat.”
There are hats available throughout Frontier Park for purchase from vendors, but there are also several options outside of the park.
“You can find a hat kind of anywhere in the park, downtown, (The) Wrangler (or at The) Boot Barn,” Garcia said. “There (are) several places to find a hat.”
... Or get gussied down (comfort is key)
Because of both the size of the park and the limitations of parking, odds are visitors will be doing a fair amount of walking. Whether you choose to attend in full western gear or something more casual, be sure to stay comfortable, Garcia advised.
“Our park is around a hundred acres, there’s all kinds of things to see and do,” Garcia said. “So your cute shoes that hurt your feet in a couple of hours might not be the best choice, but nice, comfortable walking shoes, and comfortable clothes at that (are a better choice).”
“Frontier Days is open to any and all people,” Garcia said. “So you don’t have to wear the western attire, you don’t have to be in jeans and a button-down (and) you don’t have to be in a cowboy hat.”
Full western wear is only a requirement for those who are running CFD. Visitors are welcome to wear what they are most comfortable in. CFD does have policies regarding entry, and visitors should get familiar with what’s allowed in the park before trying to enter.
Whether the weather be cold or whether the weather be hot
While it gets hot in Cheyenne, it also rains frequently in the summer afternoons. Bringing a raincoat that you can pack in your bag and dressing for the heat is a must, Garcia and Turley both told the WTE.
“It gets really hot during Cheyenne Frontier Days, and we have great places to grab a drink or grab snacks or grab food, but you want to make sure you’re staying on top of that,” Garcia said. “Cheyenne weather is pretty variable. We’re known as the beaches of Cheyenne for a reason because we’ll get those afternoon thunderstorms that will drench the arena. It doesn’t mean it’ll happen every day, but you might be prepared for some rain.”
Being a local, Turley said she has seen some pretty memorable CFD sunburn victims. No matter how much you’ve convinced yourself you don’t need sunscreen in this town, the reality is the sun holds back for no one, not even cowboys.
“(Kids) would just come home with giant sunburns,” Turley said. “I’m like, ‘Geez Louise, what did you guys do?’ … They would (say) ‘I went to CFD, and I didn’t bring any sunscreen,’ and they were red as a tomato.”
Sun protection is important at 6,086 feet elevation; hats, light layers and sunscreen can help prevent the type of sunburn that could ruin your trip.
Be open-minded
Whether you spend all of your time in Frontier Park or at activities in town, there’s a little bit of everything at CFD, Garcia said. For those who have never been or are hesitant to do something new this year, she advised at least giving new things a try.
“Take the leap. You’ll never know if you don’t like it unless you try it,” Garcia said. “We don’t encounter very many people that don’t like (CFD) once they’re here.”
While the rodeo is at the center of CFD, there’s plenty to explore if sitting for a few hours watching competitors isn’t your thing.
“It’s super family-friendly, and we try to keep Cheyenne Frontier Days really affordable,” Garcia said. “There’s all kinds of free things to see and do. You don’t have to encounter Cheyenne Frontier Days just at the rodeo. We have our pancake breakfasts, and the Thunderbirds are coming back this year and the parades. You can be involved in Cheyenne Frontier Days in any capacity that you want.”
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