The Thanksgiving season is a truly unique time of year, a crossroads of autumnal transition and the impending blanketing of snow and blinking lights. Warm feelings swarm in households as turkey and homemade pies and families mix & mingle. Thanksgiving is beautifully stark in Wyoming: a tangible contrast of harsh landscape, icy air, and the cozying of loved ones and hot food. During this week of feast and giving thanks, Wyoming hosts a number of activities to keep the spirit going for your festive 2022 holiday season.
A well-balanced cocktail the night before Thanksgiving is a great amuse-bouche for the gorging to follow. But amongst the milieu of bustling kitchens, wine-scented chatter and houses brimming with food and love and chaos, the Rose is a chic oasis. This classy, modern-lit and immaculate cocktail lounge resides in the historic Pink Garter Theatre. Art Deco aesthetic emanates throughout, with dark woods, rounded curves and leather booths that equally soothe and engender conversation.
The turkey is simultaneously misunderstood and inevitably linked to American history (not only terms of a November holiday). Benjamin Franklin preferred it as the national bird, they’re surprisingly wily and make for challenging game, and turkey wasn’t likely consumed at the original Thanksgiving (cod and wild small game was much more prominent). That said, the best places in Wyoming, and anywhere, are always, local, organic markets, in community-owned co-ops where applicable. This Laramie food co-op is a great, member-owned and organic market is the store for a delicious, guilt-free gobbler.
Easily the best breads, cakes and pastries in Cheyenne, this humble operation rivals any statewide. While their sandwiches are stellar, built upon house-made rolls, their ovens really start cranking-out beautifully tasty treats during the holiday season. Cookies, brownies, cakes of all sorts, while excellent, play second fiddle to the fresh-fruit and seasonal pies. When the snow beings to fly, so does the flour and powdered sugar. Winter never tasted so sweet.
Thanksgiving should involve honoring First Nation peoples. The vibrancy and resilience of these tribes is impressive, and on proud display in Cody. Housed within the renowned Buffalo Bill Center of the West, this well-researched dedication to the area’s First Nation tribes is equally-singular. For less than $20 ($12 for youth), this sleek museum weaves together the stories, tribulations, and triumphs of these diverse peoples. The displays do a wonderful job of not only enlightening, but also showcasing these people’s gorgeous products of art and efficiency.
It’s darn right paradoxical for Thanksgiving to not involve giving thanks. If for only one day a year, this holiday week otherwise characterized by gluttony, shopping and inebriation is the perfect time for donating one’s time. The Colorado-based Food Bank of the Rockies is one such ideal organization with which to get involved (half of the recipients of its generosity are children!). The website is chock-full of opportunities, from petitioning legislatures to volunteering at the warehouse to load and distribute meals for hungry families. If one can’t pardon a turkey, they can at least donate one.
Black Friday is, well, interesting. An embodiment of both the successes and excesses of Americans, it has blossomed into a yearly riot about which businesses arrange their entire season. They’re of course the WalMarts, Best Buys, and other of the megastore ilk with outrageous deals. And there’s a handful of mom-and-pops shops following suit. But for a good semblance of excellent prices and some sense of locality is JCPenney. The store was founded in Wyoming and offers some mind-blowing deals.
