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.
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.
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.
