Cody, Wyoming's Annual Festivals & Events
Set where the sprawling plains of the Bighorn Basin nudge up against the stunning (and gloriously wild) Absaroka Range, Cody, Wyoming is famous for its deep-rooted Western heritage and position as the primo springboard for Yellowstone National Park’s East Entrance, only about 50 miles to the west via the breathtaking Shoshone Canyon.
Backdropped by peaks and strung through by the Shoshone River, Cody gets its name from one of the Wild West’s standout characters: William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, a bison hunter and scout turned frontier showman who helped get the town off the ground.
Known for one of the leading museum complexes in the country—the Buffalo Bill Center of the West—as well as being an internationally renowned hotspot for rodeo, Cody (which also happens to be the birthplace of visionary artist Jackson Pollack) combines arts-and-culture and world-class outdoor recreation and scenery to a magnificent degree.
It also happens to boast quite the lineup of annual events, the aforementioned rodeo extravaganzas only among the most notable. A “base camp” at one of the Cody Lodging Company’s impeccable vacation rentals gives you front-row seats to these happenings, a top selection of which we’re highlighting below!
Cody Stampede Rodeo
- July
Among the premier rodeo events in the world—and certainly right near the top of the most iconic annual events in Cody—the Cody Stampede has been held every summer around the Fourth of July since its official launch in 1919. “Stampede Week” (June 30th through Independence Day) draws thousands of tourists to the Rodeo Capitol of the World’s Stampede Park to watch everything from barrel-racing, steer-wrestling, and tie-down roping to bull- and saddle bronc-riding, with plenty of associated festivities—including fireworks on the eve of the Fourth—rounding out proceedings.
As you might imagine, some of the best-of-the-best competitors from near and far show up for this Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA)-sanctioned competition, so you can expect an absolutely top-tier showcase of horsemanship and bull-riding.
Cody Nite Rodeo
- Summer
While the Cody Stampede is the most prestigious event, it’s the Cody Nite Rodeo that truly earns Cody’s tag as the Rodeo Capital of the World: What other place can boast nightly—yes, nightly—rodeos all summer long? Held from June through August at Stampede Park and overseen by the same organization (the Cody Stampede Board of Directors) that manages the Stampede itself, the Cody Nite Rodeo gives vacationers the opportunity to watch exhilarating arena spectacles whatever section of peak tourism season they’re able to get here.
Plains Indian Museum Powwow
- June
Nearly 30 American Indian tribes from across the Northern Plains are represented at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s annual Plains Indian Museum Powwow, which features hundreds of exceptional dancers and drummers.
This is a fantastic opportunity to honor and explore the still-vibrant Native cultural legacy of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains, with competitions including such venerable categories as the Men’s and Women’s Traditional Dances, Men’s Grass Dance, Women’s Jingle Dress Dance, and social performances such as the Round Dance.
Cowboy Christmas Stroll & Lighted Parade
- November
Kick off the holiday season with lots of yuletide cheer—and plenty of opportunities to stack up on Wyoming gifts—at the annual Cowboy Christmas Stroll & Lighted Parade, presented by the Cody Chamber of Commerce on the heels of Thanksgiving. Sheridan Avenue gets all lit-up for the occasion, and loads of shops open their doors for special evening shopping and abundant complimentary food and drink. The Lighted Parade anchors the occasion, which also features live music and burn barrels—and maybe a Santa Claus cameo.
Wyoming Ice Festival
- January
The South Fork Valley and its big, rugged backyard host some of the finest ice- and mixed-route climbing in the country. Cody’s Wyoming Ice Festival gives everyone from complete newbies to experienced ice-climbers abundant opportunities to explore this vertical playground and improve their skills, with oodles of clinics led by ace climbers and guides.
This hands-on instruction comes backed up by talks, film screenings, and much else, fueled by food-truck goodies and local/regional craft brews.
Rendezvous Royale
- September
Rendezvous Royale comprises a week or so at the cusp of fall in Cody that puts the arts front and center. This multi-organizational showcase includes the long-running Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale—a highlight of which is the Saturday Quick Draw exposition—as well as the Patrons Ball at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and an art auction run via By Western Hands, among other events.
Wild Bunch Gunfighters Show
- June – September
Besides the nightly rodeos and the rich opportunities for museum-going, summer visits to Cody give you an easy portal into the town’s Wild West era via the Wild Bunch Gunfighters Show, a free evening (Monday-through-Saturday) performance that takes place out in the street in front of the famous, Buffalo Bill-opened Irma Hotel. Also known as the Cody Gunfight, it’s a half-hour mock shoot-out that rotates between a number of different storylines throughout the season.
Buffalo Bill Birthday Ball
- February
Held on the Saturday closest to Buffalo Bill Cody’s birthday—February 26th, which is officially “Buffalo Bill Day” by town proclamation—this soirée features a dinner, live music and dance, and various auctions as a fundraiser for the Cody City Council, with net proceeds funneled to a wide variety of local charities and services: from Meals on Wheels to the Heart Mountain Volunteer Medical Clinic. It’s held within the Cody Auditorium, which evokes Wolfville Hall—a lively, bygone, Buffalo Bill-era gaming/dancing establishment—for the celebration.
Meeteetse Ice Fishing Derby
- February
An easy drive from Cody, the hamlet of Meeteetse hosts one of the area’s go-to winter outdoor festivals on the first weekend of February. The Meeteetse Ice Fishing Derby is a fun event for beginner and experienced ice-anglers alike, and also a blast even if you’re not directly taking part. It plays out on the frozen-over surfaces of scenic Upper and Lower Sunshine Reservoirs, host to a rich lineup of fish species, from several kinds of trout (Yellowstone cutthroat, rainbow, lake, brown) to mountain whitefish.
Concerts in the Park
- July – August
Enjoy toe-tapping live music—for free!—at Cody’s Concerts in the Park series, which takes place on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM during a roughly monthlong stretch between July and August. The entertainment goes down in the bandshell at downtown’s City Park.
Cody Frontier Festival
- June
The Cody Frontier Festival, which takes place on the Cody Stampede Rodeo Grounds, brings the days of the Old West back to life with a varied, family-friendly lineup of demonstrations, contests, games, and live entertainment. From the horse-packing competition and demos in everything from tanning, quilt-making, and flint-knapping to camp and chuckwagon cooking and live Western music, it’s a great way to welcome in summer while taking a spirited plunge into Wyoming’s frontier era.
Enjoy Cody WY Festivals on a Dream Getaway With The 100 Collection & Our Local Partner
We’re honored to partner with the Cody Lodging Company, owned by Cody-area native Sandi Fisher, to provide guests with the finest in regional accommodations. From city-center townhomes to secluded cabins and mountain lodges, the Cody Lodging Company inventory spans some incredible ground—check it out today!
