A Look at Laramie Jubilee Days 2012

Summer is here and soon enough it’ll be that time of the year again folks! The 2012 Laramie Jubilee Days will be in full swing starting July 7th. Since its first appearance in the 1940’s, Jubilee Days has evolved from a day long statehood celebration to a week of fun-filled activities. So hold on to your hat, it’s going to be a wild ride!

This year’s week long celebration will kick off at 9:00 AM sharp July 7th with a Kid’s Horse Show at the Albany County Fairgrounds and will be followed by the Mr. T Extreme Bull Riding Calcutta at 4:30 PM at the Holiday Inn. At the fun and exciting Mr. T Extreme Bull Riding Calcutta, both bulls and cowboys will be sold. The highest bidder buys a chance at winning the pot.
Next, Sunday July 8, the Ranch Rodeo at 10:00 AM consists of family fun for everyone! Either participate or observe this event including calf branding, steer doctoring, sequential sorting, trailer loading, and more! Each team consists of 4 people, men, women or otherwise! The cost is $240 per team. Teams will be accepted on a first come, first paid basis. Participants, get your entry and fees in early. Is it as easy as it sounds? Come on out and you be the judge.

Interested in celebrating Wyoming? Come to the Wyoming Territorial Prison from 11-2 PM on July 10th to show your pride and appreciation for Laramie and the rest of Wyoming.

Get chapped up and ready for the Laramie Jubilee Days Junior Bull Riding on Tuesday, July 10th at 7:00 pm held at the fairgrounds. Interested in competing? Enter by calling 307-760-7777. All contestants must have entry fees paid by 6:00 pm on July 10. General admission to the public will be $5.00 for adults and children 12 and under are free. Come cheer on these young dare devils!

Ready for the most dangerous 8 seconds in sports? Come to the Mr. T Bulling riding on July 11 at 7:00 pm. At this event, each bull will be scored by the 2 PRCA judges. This is where the Calcutta betters will take a chance at padding their pockets. The bull with the highest score will be deemed the winner (whether the bull is ridden or not). If “your” cowboy has the highest score at the end of the night, you’re in the money. The bull riding tickets will be $20 ($15 in advance) for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.

The Last Chance Team Roping will be held on July 12th at 6:00 pm and the PRCA Rodeo Slack will be at 7:00 am July 13th both at the fairgrounds. If that doesn’t tip your hat, why not join us downtown for some other exciting events. Starting Thursday, July 12th, Downtown Laramie will be hosting events such as the Flaming Gorge Jalapeño Eating Contest, the Jubilee Days Carnival, a downtown fashion show, a pancake breakfast, the Boomerang Chili Cook-off, and the Street Dance.

The Carnival will be held at 5:00 pm on July 11th, at 3:00 pm on July 12th, 12:00 pm on July 13th and July 14th. Get your groove on at the Jubilee Days Downtown Street Dances. These events will be held at 8 o’clock on the 12th, 13th, and 14th and will feature the bands Westbound 40, Barely Gettin’ By, and High Life.

The 2012 ”Flaming Gorge” Jalapeño Eating Contest will take place on the main stage in Historic Downtown Laramie Thursday, July 12th. Participants are asked to show up between 5:00 and 5:30 pm to register taste buds at the ready. The Gorge will commence at 6 pm. For more information email Christa Branch at vicechair@laramiejubileedays.net.

Friday, July 13th kicks off the first Downtown Farmer’s Market of the year! Beginning at 3:00 pm, the market is a great place to find fresh vegetables, homemade bread, kettle corn, roasted peppers, homemade salsa, and locally handcrafted pottery and crafts. Also, the Maurice’s Fashion Show will be held at 3:00 pm downtown. Call 307-721-5187 for the details!

The 2012 Ribeye Rodeo will take place on July 13 from 5:30 PM, downtown on Grand Ave. between 2nd and 3rd streets. There is a $10 application fee and application deadline is July 1. Contact Christa Branch at LJDRibeyeRodeo@gmail.com for more information.

Want to experience some thrilling rodeo action? Then, saddle up and ride on over to the PRCA Rodeo Performances at the Albany County Fairgrounds. Come support these cowboys chasing their dreams to a championship belt buckle. There’ll be heroic rides, spills, thrills, and injuries. You’ll be on the edge of your seat to the very end. The performances will be at 6:30 pm on July 13th and July 14th, and at 1:00 pm on July 15th.

July 14th at 10:00 AM will be the annual Jubilee Days Parade celebrating Wyoming Statehood. The Parade that features marching bands, reunion floats, local businesses, horseback riders is always a Laramie favorite during Jubilee Days. Interested in entering the parade, visit the Jubilee Days website: http://www.laramiejubileedays.net/Parade-and-Downtown.php.

Thirsty for some ice cold refreshments? The 2012 Brew Fest will be Saturday July 14 from 1-6 pm at the Depot Park. Since its inception in 2006, the Downtown Laramie Brew Fest has attracted more breweries, more sponsors and more participants. In the past, Brew Fest has hosted around 900 people who enjoyed live music, barbeque concessions, and beer samples from over twenty breweries from across the nation. An all day pass costs $27 in advance or $30 at the gate or individuals can purchase the $10 entry fee and receive 3 tokens. We hope to see you there! See http://www.laramiebrewfest.com/ for more information!

The Boomerang Chili Cook-Off will be held Saturday July 14th. The information on entering the Cook-Off and the schedule of the event can be found at http://www.laramieboomerang.com/chili_cookoff/ or contact the Laramie Boomerang at advmgr@laramieboomerang.com.

The ten days of Laramie Jubilee Days is jam packed with exciting events and there really is something for everyone! Get your tickets now! We hope to see you there! All event information can be found on www.visitlaramie.org, www.laramiejubileedays.net, or by calling the Laramie Area Visitor Center at 745-4195.

Live the West

Written by Stefanie Stephens, Office Assistant at Laramie Area Visitor Center