Have a Rip-Roaring Time At This Small Town Festival That’s Quintessentially Wyoming

When winters are long and snow is in abundant supply, you make the best of it. In Sundance, the "best" is a rip-roaring winter festival that turns a cold winter weekend into an epic celebration of everything that's quintessentially Wyoming.

The Sundance Winter Festival typically takes place well into winter, once it's had a chance to send enough flurries to provide the snow that is the focal point of most of the activities. Between the exhibitions, competitions, food, drink, music, and more, it's an unforgettable way to spend a few days in the Cowboy State.

The Sundance Winter Festival typically takes place in February.

Mark your calendar - the next festival is slated for the weekend of February 17, 2018.

It's given the sleepy little town of Sundance, Wyoming something to look forward to during the snowy winters.

Visitors start arriving Friday night for the unofficial festivities, though the events begin bright and early Saturday morning.

The festival's kick-off event is skijoring - an extreme sport that involves a horse and rider towing competitors on skis down snow-packed Main Street.

It's an intense contest full of thrills...

...and spills.

Next up are the downhill barstool races. Competitors in this event perch themselves on barstools fitted with skis and hurl down steep snowdrifts. Part of this competition often includes donning inventive and unusual costumes to make things more interesting.

The local bars and restaurants get in on the fun, hosting live bands, and the Longhorn Saloon & Grill even shows outdoor movies on their back porch until late into Saturday night.

Most of the competitions require snow and lots of it. While that's usually not a problem in Wyoming, no worries on the few and far between years when snow isn't in abundance. It can always be imported.

There is loads of family fun to be had, too, such as sledding, cross-country skiing, and ice skating.

Festival events also include a Nordic ski race and a snow sculpture competition.

Plus, there's the extremely extreme sport of the snowmobile hill climb, made even more exciting when competitors break out their vintage snowmobiles from storage to plow up Sundance Mountain.

There are trophies for all competitions and cash prizes for a few of them, too.

Have you been to the Winter Festival in Sundance?

What other festivals are quintessentially Wyoming?