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 2023 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 in terms of a November holiday). Benjamin Franklin preferred it as the national bird, they’re surprisingly wily and make for a challenging game, and the turkey wasn’t likely consumed at the original Thanksgiving (cod and wild small game were much more prominent). This Laramie food co-op is a great, member-owned, and organic market and 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.
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As winter descends upon the mountains, celebrate Thanksgiving at 10,450' in the Aerial Tram! With spectacular views, this is the perfect way to spend the holiday season. Join in from 10 am to 2 pm between November 24-26 to glimpse the white-tipped peaks. Don't forget to get your last savory waffle at 1:30 pm!
Go to Downtown Casper this Saturday and participate in the Thanksgiving celebrations. Enjoy holiday festivities with food trucks, live music, interactive games, and more. You will feel cheerful after this event and make some amazing memories. Join your loved ones for a festive evening filled with cheer.
It's paradoxical for Thanksgiving not to 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 an ideal organization 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.
If a manageable and meaningful charity run is on the Thanksgiving menu, one might as well do it in some of the most beautiful environs in the Lower 48. This fun 5K run/walk is the perfect metabolism kickstarter. It gets the furnace burning for all that turkey, stuffing, and gravy. Just $15 grants entrance, a commemorative t-shirt, and some hydration afterward. November is National Diabetes Month, so proceeds appropriately benefit the St. John's Diabetes & Metabolism program.
Black Friday is, well, interesting. An embodiment of 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 Buy, and other megastore ilk with outrageous deals. And there’s a handful of mom-and-pop 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.
