Buy fresh, buy local!

Photo courtesy Worland Chamber of Commerce.

Wyoming farmers' markets are flourishing with fresh fruit and vibrant veggies so I encourage you to buy locally grown produce!

According to Nate Beckman at the Worland Chamber of Commerce, the first day of market this past Saturday featured 28 vendors, to include produce growers, crafts people, food vendors, and flea-marketers, all locals from the Worland area. We also had live entertainment by members of local country/rock band Mountain Scum and local DJ, Mr. B. Beckman reported, "The estimated foot-traffic was around 300. We plan to hold market every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. [and] this year's market should run for about 10 weeks, with September 25th being the projected final date." The market is located on 9th Street (off Big Horn Ave.) between Pioneer Park and City Hall in downtown Worland.

For more information about the Worland community market, please call the Worland Chamber of Commerce at (307) 347-3226. For more information about farmers' markets in Wyoming, click here.

BBQ and Bluegrass

The 6th annual Wyoming State BBQ Championship and Blue Grass Festival will take place August 19-21, 2010 in Worland, WY! Each year over thirty master BBQ'rs converge in the Big Horn Basin to compete for prizes totaling over $6000.00. Each participant spends countless hours preparing their favorite recipes for brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and chicken. Additional categories include lamb and sauce.

For more information, about this Wyomoing state BBQ championship (sanctioned KCBS) event, click on the link above.

Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival

Don't miss the 26th annual Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival September 9-19, 2010 in Jackson, WY. This annual celebration will feature more than 50 events and showcase international and national artists and their extraordinary art. From culinary, contemporary, landscape, Native American, wildlife, and Western art, this festive event provides something for everyone, amidst the glorious backdrop of the majestic Teton mountains!

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountain is going home; that wilderness is necessity; that mountain parks and preservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life. -John Muir

Blues n' Brews

I am delighted to discover and share so many fun events going on in the cowboy state, and my latest find is The Wyoming Blues and Jazz Society - a wonderful organization that was created to promote and perpetuate blues and jazz music across the state of Wyoming. The Society recognizes blues and jazz as being a true American heritage and seeks to educate and encourage young and old to play and listen to blues and jazz. Members are primarily in the Casper area with a few spread across the state, and a few elsewhere in the U.S. The society hopes to grow its membership to encourage and enjoy shared events in many towns across Wyoming.

The Sweetwater Blues n’ Brews Festival will be a rockin' event on Saturday, August 14, in Rock Springs. The festival is a celebration of music and microbrews, located downtown in Bunning Park. This all-day event will feature live blues music, the best microbrews in the region, some homemade BBQ, and a lot more!