Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

Next week is a busy time in the southern part of the Big Horn Basin. As always there are three county fairs going on, Big Horn County Fair in Basin, Hot Springs County Fair in Thermopolis, and, of course, the Washakie County Fair right here in Worland.

The Hot Springs and Washakie County fairs get underway Saturday with their respective horse shows. Big Horn County kicks things off this Friday with their dog show and then all the other events and exhibits are next week.

Fair week starts a busy time as we head toward summer’s end. For small communities, where people love to say “there’s nothing for our young people to do in the summer,” well they can’t say that over the next few weeks.

In this week’s fair feature on the Lungren youth, Owen Lungren said one of the reasons he enjoys 4-H is that it gives him something to do during the summer as he’s been working on his steer project.

If you look at the schedules for each of the fairs on pages B6-B8, you’ll see there are plenty of projects and activities that would keep someone busy during the summer — horses, dogs, cats, chickens, turkeys, goats, steer, swine, sheep, and then there are a variety of non-animal projects. Go and watch the general exhibit judging or check out the displays after the judging and you’ll see fashion, photography, wood working, leather projects and more.

All three county fairs do not charge an admission to go and check out the exhibits. The only fees are for grandstand events — rodeos, pig wrestling and demolition derby in Big Horn County.

This year Washakie County Fair has a free evening concert every night of the fair starting Monday and culminating next Saturday night with Ten Sleep’s own Lacy Nelson.

There are parades, pie eating contests, rhubarb rhevival, bouncy house, pet parade and much more.

But fair week is just the beginning of a busy August. A busy weekend Aug. 3-4 includes many fair events in Basin and Worland, plus the Big Horn Basin Folk Festival and Gift of the Waters Pageant in Thermopolis with their fair wrapping up Friday night.

That first weekend is followed up with another busy weekend in Ten Sleep with the annual Nowoodstock music festival Aug. 9-11 at Vista Park.

Then it is back to Worland and Thermopolis. The annual Brewfest and Pepsi Wyoming BBQ Championship & Bluegrass Festival runs Aug. 15-17. The brewfest is Thursday, Aug. 16, with live music and the opportunity to sample brews from around the area.

The festival is Friday and Saturday and includes barbecue food for eating and judging, three bluegrass bands, car show, pancake breakfast, 5k run and a kids barbecue. The festival and car show are free to come and look and listen. If you want to enjoy good barbecue while you’re there you’ll need to purchase some Bone Bucks to pay the vendors.

Thermopolis has their annual demolition derby Saturday night, Aug. 17 for those wishing for a crashing good time.

The Worland Community Center signifies the end of the summer fun with the annual Battle of the Bands on Aug. 23.

So go out over the next few weeks and enjoy some fun around the southern Big Horn Basin.

Hope to see you at the fair next week.