HISTORY: How Cheyenne Frontier Days Got Started

One hundred and twenty-nine years, and another Cheyenne Frontier Days is upon us. Cowboys and girls. Rodeo competition, food, parades, concerts. Where did this all begin?

According to the Cheyenne Frontier Days website, the first Cheyenne Frontier Days was in July 1897 as a one-day cowboy roundup and festival. It was held to boost tourism following the Panic of 1893. The Panic of 1893 was an economic depression in the United States. It began in February 1893 and officially ended eight months later.

The nickname "Daddy of 'em All" came about because it is considered the first paid professional rodeo. It is now the world's largest outdoor rodeo and Western celebration.

Frederick Angier and local Cheyenne businessmen dreamed up the idea to bring people to Wyoming and keep the town vibrant.

The first event was held on September 23, 1897, and featured traditional cowboy skills such as bronco busting, steer roping, and pony races. Four thousand spectators attended. So the next year they made it into a two-day event.

Cheyenne Frontier Days grew in popularity in 1898 with Buffalo Bill Cody.

The show exploded in popularity in 1898 when the legendary Buffalo Bill Cody brought his Wild West show to perform with Frontier Days. Because of Bill's appearance, the show gained national attention.

Buffalo Bill's show brought the idea of filling the show with arena acts during to rodeo. Never a dull moment.

In 1908, the festival formally established what they called "Cheyenne Day." There was even an airplane show at the nearby Cheyenne airfield.

Cheyenne Frontier Days is now a 10-day event.

After a 129-year history, Cheyenne Frontier Days has become a 10-day event that runs during the last full week of July. The rodeo is still the center of the event, but folks also enjoy the nighttime concerts, daily parades, chuckwagon cook-offs, a carnival midway, and military air shows featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.